Countering the Later Years
by Alriadne
Summary: Sequal to Counter Story. Let's fast forward to a few years later. They've been out of Hogwarts for five years and this is the Story of Li,Lily Evans. Goes up till death.
1. Later Years

Later Years

"Hey Potter! Good hustle out there!" Coach Newman called out to one of his exhausted chasers.

"Thanks Coach, have you found a replacement for Typer yet?" James asked. Jim Typer had been their backup seeker. He had recently quit the game and the team was trying to find a replacement.

"I've got another interview today. The player was playing for a minor team, the Horntails. Jack saw them play and he said the seeker was good so we're going to see if this seeker is ready to play the Major league," Newman explained. Jack was the scout for James' team, the Chuddly Cannons. "He apparated in from Dover today and he's going to be here for a week."

"So what's this player's name?" James asked.

"His name is Li Evans. He went to Hogwarts. I think it was the same time you were there. Was he any good?" Newman added as an after thought. 

"Li Evans was one of the best players Hogwarts has ever seen," James assured the coach, "but Li isn't…"

"Hello, I'm Li Evans," a voice said from behind James.

"Hello Mr. Evans, I'm Bruce Newman and this is James Potter, he's one of our starting chasers," Newman introduced.

"Hello Mr. Newman. Hi James, it's been a long time," Li replied. James subconsciously put his hand to his cheek. Last time he had seen Li, at graduation five years ago, Li had given him a kiss on the cheek. Thankfully neither Li nor Coach Newman had seen this gesture.

"Are you ready to start the try out?" Newman asked.

"Anytime," Li replied. 

"Start flying around. I'll release the snitch and see how long it takes for you to catch it," Newman instructed. Li nodded and mounted her broom. She rose into the air quickly. "Go up there are distract Evans, I'll release the snitch soon." James also mounted and rose in the air. He began to fly in front of Li to keep her from seeing anything. She avoided his maneuvers gracefully. A golden glint caught her eye and she dove. The snitch rose just after she had gotten to where it had used to be. She did a loop de loop to catch it. 

"Good job!" James yelled.

"That's pretty good, one minute and five seconds. 

"Let's try again, this time let's see how you fare while trying to dodger blugders. James go get the bat and the balls, wait," Newman paused. "Go get Adams. You'll hurt yourself if we let you play beater."

"Still useless?" Li joked. James glared at her before running off.

"Good job Evans, change up, Potter here will make sure you get a place to stay," Newman told Li. "Oh, off the record, welcome to the Chuddley Cannons." Li smiled and disappeared into the changing rooms. 

"Coach!" James complained. "I have plans for tonight."

"Well break them," Newman commanded. "Your teammates come first. I think he might even be better than Stevens."

"Yes Coach," James replied. Stevens was the team's starting seeker and was famous all over the globe for being a brilliant player. 

"Make sure he gets a place to stay and show him around London, ok?" Newman commanded.

"Yes Coach," James replied in a monotone. Li came back over to them. 

"Potter will make sure you find a place to stay," Newman told her.

"Thanks," she replied. 

"Come on," James instructed. The two left the field. When they were a good distance off, James turned toward her. "So you're trying out for the Chuddley Cannons?"

"No, I'm getting seeker on the Chuddly Cannons," she retorted.

"And you're still masquerading as a guy?" he asked.

"I never masqueraded. I simply chose to dress as a guy and not mention the fact that I'm female. It's within my rights. He won't ask me so I don't have to answer."

"They'll never accept a girl on a professional Quidditch team."

"It never said on the job application that you had to be a guy. Besides they would never let me play if I told them I'm a girl," Li argued. "Are you going to tell? If you do you go flying. You'll be gone before you can say Quidditch."

"They won't hear it from my mouth. By the way, I'm hanging with Sirius tonight so you can either tag along or go somewhere on your own."

"I'll come, I got nothing better to do anyway. Severus is locked up in his dungeon and Lucius is getting married. Which reminds me, I have to be a bridesmaid," Li complained. 

"He's getting married?" James inquired. He had already known of course. Lucius Malfoy's wedding had been announced in the papers. 

"Yea. To Narcissa Black no less. He told me he would never marry her, I told him he would. Which reminds me, Severus owes me…"Li started, "How much?"

"You bet on your friend's social life?" James asked. James and Remus had talked about making bets on who Sirius was going to date next, but never really got down to it. Li withdrew a long piece of parchment. "What's that?"

"It's the list of bets. I'm checking to see how much he owes me. Yes, we made this bet in 1974 before we graduated when I saw Lucius doodling Narcissa's name in his notebook," Li replied. "That's right, he owes he ten gallons." James glanced at the list before Li put it away. Neatly written in columns were the name of the bet, the date conducted, the date it expired, with whom and how much. There was even a column for the signature of the person. Li noticed James' raised eyebrow. "Not everyone wants to pay up." She smirked slightly and put it away. 

"Should we be going?"

"Where, may I ask, are we going?"

"I'll drop you off at a hotel and pick you up at seven," James answered.

"Where are we going?" 

"Clubbing."

"Fine," Li said. She shrugged her shoulders. "Shall we be off?" She apparated away. James shook his head and went after her.

Hello and welcome to 'Countering the Later Years.' Yes it was the best title I could come up with. It is the sequal to my story the Counter Story. I suggest you read it, I got mainly good reviews. I don't think it's necessary you read it, but if you don't, here's the pitch. Lily/Li Evans is a tomboy. She was a Slytherin. She is friends with Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. The Marauders know she is not a boy but no one else, other than her friends ad family, know that because Li believes that woman are inferior. Snape has a slight (MAJOR) crush on her and I'm still deciding whether there's going to be anything there.

Oh, and everyone listen to the Indigo Girls. Especially their song Romeo and Juliet. Kick arse song. Oh, I will do minor cursing, I will stop myself from saying the f-curse. If you really don't like this story, be constructive and please do not curse at me. I do not like being cursed at on sites such as this. Let's keep a level of civility. I won't be rude to you and you won't be rude to me. If you've got a great story, I'll be happy to read it though I warn you I am a bit crazy in my reviews. 

If you review I'm not likely to respond specifically to you unless I feel it's important or you really made my day. Do not think that I don't appreciate it. You don't know how much I jump up and down when I see that little mailbox sign that tells me I got e-mail. I am also so happy and half the time it turns out to be my friend sending me a comic and I get so down cause it's not a review from you guys. That's how much I love you. You make me jump up and down and when I don't hear from you I get really sad. Sadness doesn't help me write. I mainly write when I'm hyper so every few chapters review for me and get me all hyper so I can write some more.

I am a high school freshman in honors and in marching band. I do not have a lot of time and I only get inspo when I'm hyper (see above.) Having time and having inspo at the same time does not happen in a schedule. Sometimes I'll update everyday and sometimes I won't update for a month. That's how it works. I'll try not to let it go for more than a month.

Oh, for the first time in my life I have 'A Plan' for this story. Meaning? I know where it's going. Cici, if you still want to help, thank you so much. Everyone remember to say 'Thank you Cici," or something because she is the awesome person who tells me when my chapters suck and helps give me ideas. She is 'The Presence' behind this story and she keeps it running simply by e-mailing me and putting up with my ranting about school. So please thank her.

I usually write a whole lot of author's notes but not this much.


	2. These Days

**I know this is a bad chapter. Shout out to Patlulu. Actually there are a whole lot of us against the war. Apparently the youth group I just joined, their discussion always ends up as a political discussion. I was there last night and there was a good Bush bashing secession. **

It's the media's fault. They're blowing up everything out of proportion. I went to camp this year and so many people don't say the pledge because they're protesting the war. I know this is a controversial subject and I'm going to get angry reviews for the other side. I'm terribly sorry but I'm not very patriotic and I really don't like Bush. He keeps calling America a Christian country. Guess what? Not all of us are Christian. This country was founded because we didn't want to pay taxes but also because we wanted religious freedom. If you start calling it a Christian country you are in a sense taking away that very freedom that people fought for. 

And the whole 'Terrorist' thing every three words? That's silly. People thought the blackout was a terror attack. It was a black out. We lost power for longer during hurricane Floyd and no one made a big deal. We lost power about every week during the summer. 

About the war, I'm not in support of it, but now that it's happened, it should have been A LOT better planed. Bush is like "We're going to do it alone because of the terrorists and cause we're the greatest! And um, we're not going for the oil, we're going to help promote freedom." (yea right) And now he's all "We want to um get the whole world in defeating the terror and um terror and need more money for um terrorism and um troops for um terrorism." 

People are going to start going on about September 11th now and I how I should be more supportive bout the war on terrorism. I'm all for going after the real terrorists. What happened to getting Afghanistan all set up? 

If you want to argue against me, I welcome you're opinions. I want to set up a few guidelines. 

Be able to back up your statement. No cursing at me. I don't appreciate it. Keep it G. Keep it polite, there is no need for name-calling. Please either leave an e-mail or be a member of this site. If you don't I will be forced to see you as someone who does not want to be contacted so therefore I can't counter their statement. 

"Excuse me, do you have an Evans?" James asked the front desk of Li's hotel. He and Sirius had been tying to apparate into the hall outside Li's room for a while and hadn't succeeded so they were trying the muggle approach now. Sirius wore a sour expression on his face. He was really not in favor of Li coming and cramping his style with the ladies. 

"Yes, but Evans told us to call when anyone arrived," the receptionist told them politely. "Would you like me to dial?" James nodded. The receptionist dialed the number to the room. "I'm sorry sir there is no answer, he must have gone out." James and Sirius turned away from the receptionist.

"I told you. Why would he want to hang with us his worst enemies?" Sirisu asked.

"That would be she and her Sirius. You've known Li was a girl for years," James scolded him.

"Yes, but he/she acts like a guy and wants to be a guy so why not just use the male pronouns?" Sirius asked.

"Fine," James replied. The two friends headed for the door. The elevator door opened.

"Wait up!" Li called to the two retreating figures. James and Sirius turned around. Before them stood a recognizable figure. Li was actually dressed well, like a girl. Her clothes were revealing or especially shouting femininity, but you could tell. She was wearing a cargo skirt and some tank top that looked like she had pulled it out of her suitcase last minute. Her hair was swept back into a semblance of a bun and was held by a hair clip.

"Wow, you really are a girl," Sirius said. He had never really connected 'Elaina' to Li. He had been aware it was the same person, just hadn't done the mental connection. Li growled and patted a long pocket on her pants that probably held her wand. Sirius got the idea what she was hinting and for once in his life thought it wise to shut up. 

"Where are we going?" Li asked. 

"We're not sure. Either a club or maybe a fair we heard about," James told her. "You walk like a guy." Li looked down and shrugged.

"Narcissa hopes to cure me of it before her wedding. She says it would bad if her bridesmaid looked like a guy in a dress and I've been ordered to wear skirts as much as possible," Li grumbled. She muttered something under her breath that sounded like a string of profanities.

"My cousin is getting married?" Sirius asked.

"Didn't year read it in the newspaper?" James asked his clueless friend.

"I don't read the newspaper," Sirius answered.

"Look, I'm only out here cause my hotel room is boring but if we're just going to stand around talking I'm out of here," Li growled.

"I don't exactly like standing here," James replied.

"I don't exactly like wearing skirts and dresses in public," Li snapped. 

"I don't exactly like missing out on the ladies," Sirius interjected. 

"Shut up," Li demanded.

"That' only the fifth time today," Sirius said disappointedly. Li looked confused.

"He doesn't like going through a day without being told to shut up at least ten times. Otherwise he feels he's been too quiet," James explained. "Let's go to the fair." Sirius and Li shrugged. James apparated away and was followed by the other two.

"Can someone get me a teddy bear?" Sirius begged as soon as all three had reached the fair. "I can never get the ball into the mouth."

"He always cracks up laughing," James said. "I'll try." The three went up to a booth. James paid two pounds and get three darts to hit the balloons. He missed all three times. He bought and three darts and missed yet again. On his eighth dart Li cut in.

"Here let me do it. For a chaser you have really bad aim," she informed him. She plucked the darts from his hand and shot the first one. It missed the balloon she was aiming for. She bit her lip and threw the other. The balloon made a popping sound and she was handed a stuffed bear. Sirius held out his hands.

"No way, I'm keeping this one," She told him. Sirius pouted. "If you give me two pounds I'll win you one." Li won a bear on her second try.

The next day Li woke up to a loud sound of someone apparating. 

"Go away Severus, five more minutes," Li mumbled. Severus used to be the one who would pound on her door on wake her up during Hogwarts.

"You will get up," the person demanded. A hand supposedly belonging to the person pulled the covers off of Li. "Get up!"

"What time is it?" Li asked.

"Twelve and you were supposed to be at my house twenty minutes ago. Thankfully Lucius knew you're hotel and how to get past you're anti apparation blocks. You really shouldn't tell anyone that," the voice scolded. Li opened her eyes to the site of a blond haired woman. She was a very beautiful person except when she scowled. Li had no idea why Narcissa scowled so much. "You were supposed to come with me to pick out dress robes. You're my bridesmaid you have to!"

"Fine, I'll help you pick out the bloody dress," Li complained. She dragged herself out of bed. 

"You'll wear stockings today and a skirt," Narcissa informed her. Narcissa took out some clothes she had brought. She had a short knee length black skirt, stockings and a blouse.

"NO!" Li cried. 

"I will teach you to walk like a girl if it's the last thing I do," Narcissa declared. Li whimpered. After much debate and fighting the two arrived at the Black manor that belonged to Narcissa's father. There they met up with one of Narcissa's sisters and with another friend of Narcissa. 

"What took you so long?" Bellatrix growled dangerously. Li didn't especially like Bellatrix. She was one of those people who took the whole Slytherin thing too far. Li compared Narcissa and her sister in her mind. Narcissa was generally a pleasant person and could think for herself. Bellatrix was rather nasty even to her sister's fiancée and hardly ever seemed to be acting with a will of her own. Bellatrix was dark while Narcissa was fair. They were like night and day. Li remembered the last Black sister, Andromeda. Li had not been to fond of the over friendly Griffindor. In appearance Andromeda was the midpoint between the other two but in personality Narcissa was. Li had not been surprised when Andromeda had been removed from the Black family tree.

"She refused to wake up," Narcissa said simply. "Now, we have to got to that little dress shop in Paris and we have to go to the flower shop and to the caterers. They are threatening to cancel on us."

"But they are the best in the Wizarding world! You simply cannot have a wedding without them," Isabella Brown Crabbe protested. Isabella was Narcissa's best friend. She had recently married Crabbe. 

"I know, that's why I have to bargin with them. If we can't get them on the correct date we're going to have to change the whole wedding. Why couldn't they realize the discrepancy before a month before my wedding?" Narcissa sobbed. She was almost at the point of tears. "I'll have to try to rebook the club and it took me months to get the first reservation!" The other girls quickly swarmed around Narcissa to comfort her. Li stood behind her and patted her shoulder awkwardly. Li wasn't used to crying girls. She hadn't really cried herself for many years. She felt very out of place in this setting. 

"Well, let's go shopping, that always makes you feel better," Isabella suggested. Narcissa brightened up immediately. 

"Let's go shopping!" She squealed. Li cringed. Today would be very long.

Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape were currently doing nothing. They were enjoying a couple of fire whiskies while sitting around on their bums watching a Quidditch game. A very disheveled Li barged into the room they were holed up in. They were currently hiding from the female inhabitants of the house who would make them get off their arses and start doing something. They quickly hide their drinks but took them back out when they saw it was Li.

"What happened to you?" Lucius asked, turning his attention back to the screen. Li fell into a chair. Severus took a quick glance at her. 

"Shopping," she moaned. The two males winced. 

"We feel for you," Lucius assured her. "They were trying to make me do that but I put my foot down."

"You ran up to your room," Severus argued. "And you whined that you hadn't spent any time with any of your friends lately and they sent someone to interrupt my work and bring me shopping with you. Thanks by the way."

"No problem mate. You needed a break anyway."

"I was about to discover a potion that makes a person able to turn invisible at will but since SOMEONE interrupted me I'll have to start all over. That took me five years to prepare!" Severus complained.

"Anytime, anytime," Lucius replied. The three turned their attention t the screen. 

"That was not a foul!" Lucius or Li would yell every once in a while. Severus spent his time sneaking peeks at Li. He still wasn't sure how he felt about her. He felt his heart drop into his feet every time he looked at her, but if he said anything, well, it just wasn't right.

Li looked at her two friends watching the screen. Lucius was getting married and wouldn't have time to hang and Severus spent all his time working on his potions. Who knew when the would be able to just hang out again? Li sighed. She started plotting when she could ask Severus for the money he owed her. She started making plans for that money.

****

Best I could do. Is it long enough? I know a lot of it is author's notes. Sorry. 


	3. Meeting the Team

****

Me, I'm sorry you feel like I'm being a hypocrate. I'm just expressing my opinon. I feel the war could have been planned out better. No I did not expect it to go out without a hitch. There is always a hitch and it is always about money. The under root of everything is money. Yes, there was the whole taxation WITHOUT REPRESENTATION thing, but the taxes were raised and you proved my point. They didn't want to give up money without debating it. 

I'm really sorry that you lost family. One of my closest friends lost her uncle. I'm right outside New York. I felt the effects. I was one of those people who was glued to their TV screen. I'm still one of those who look up in the air when they hear and airplane. I am still feeling the effects. The point I was think people can overreact. My area loses power a lot; it's no big deal. It's about every week or so. Power loss is no big deal. Yes I DID survive the blackout of 2003. I survived all of them that have happened since I was born. I had no power from the time it started till 2 AM. My friend got stranded at Korean School and my mum had to go pick her up. No one made a big deal out of it. Then we turn on the radio and they're going on about how it could be a terror attack. 

As for Sadam, why aren't we doing something about North Korea? We KNOW the have weapons. Plus we're the ones being hypocrites if we expect everyone else to get rid of their weapons and we don't get rid of ours.

I know this country is a mainly Christian Country, I jut don't like it being called that. That is one of the points that America was founded on and you may not see it that way, but I believe if you all group us under one name it kinda of hides the rest of us. I'm sorry that's my view after being told I was going to hell several times a day because I don't believe in 'God.' I'm not going to get into that and please, no one try to convert me. I've got three friends who are already trying. 

Aristotle said, even if you have knowledge, if you can't convey it people still think you are a simpleton.

I'm sorry for you loss. 

I will over look the cursing. 

Captain Obvious- I agree, Gore was a spoiled brat about the whole Florida thing. Not the definition of a graceful loser. Sorry about posting the wrong chapter.

I'm ending the debate. I will post no more chapters that have politics as of today. You can talk to me about it if you want but I'm not going to respond cause it's unfair to everyone else for it to be posted here.

"Ten hut!" Coach Newman demanded. All the player flying around on the field immediately landed on the ground.

"Ten hut hut two!" the player answered. They held their brooms to the side with the base near their feet and the broom part in the air. They put one hand behind their back. Each them stood straight, not looking at Coach Newman walking in front of them. 

The coach called the command for them to relax. **(Shades of marching band. The last commans was Paradaehes, but I can't spell it.)** The team visibly relaxed but didn't move their feet or divert their attention. "This is our new reserve Seeker Li Evans. He played several years on a minor team and now we've chosen him to be our new reserve. Now what are you ladies doing just sitting there? Get to work! I want to see twenty laps around the ring. Yes, Brown, you will be carrying your brooms. Then I want to see seventy-five push-ups. After that break off into sections and leaders you have your instructions. Seekers, I want to see you when you're done with the warm up." The team nodded and all set off running around the track.

"Why do we run?" Li asked the nearest person to her.

"It builds up endurance. He doesn't like us complaining of being tired," the person explained. "You're the new seeker right? From what I hear you could take my job. Is it true that you flew fifty meters off the ground upside down at a hundred kelos per hour?" 

"Actually it was only thirty meters and I was going in circles. The snitch was feeling artistic that day," Li explained.

"Did you really capture the snitch?" the person asked excitedly. Li nodded. "That was an awesome move. My cousin captured it on some omniculars and let me watch it. That was a brilliant play. You must be brilliant!" I wish I could have seen that." Li bit her lip to stop herself from telling this person to shut up. The person chatted on for about fifteen laps without realizing that Li was slowly pulling ahead trying to get out of hearing range so she wouldn't be first to murder the annoying seeker. "Hey wait up! I'm sorry, I'm really rude. You probably have no idea who I am. I'm Mike Stevens. I'm the seeker for the Cannons. We're supposed to go to the coach after warm up. I supposed he wants you to learn all the drills." Li nodded again. 

They team finished their laps and started doing the push-ups. Li made sure to stay away from the chatty seeker. 

"Avoiding Meve?" James asked. Li looked at him. He had managed to be next to her even though she was more than a little far away from where everyone else was. 

"Meve?" Li questioned. James laughed at the confused and yet repulsed expression on her face. 

"That's what we call Mike Stevens. Somewhere along the lines we figured out he shuts up when we call him that," James told her. 

"Is this all you do for warm-ups?" Li asked. "On the minor team we did a lot more for warm and these push-ups? Only doing seventy-five? Hundred is more like it. And what's with this two handed business?" Li put one hand behind her back and continued to do the push-ups. "It isn't a challenge on two hands at all." James put on hand behind his back like Li. He tried to do a push up and lost his balance. Li snorted. 

"Hey shut up Slytherin," James said in his mock 'I'm-superior-to-you' voice. 

"Right Griffindor," Li smirked.

"Do you only have one facial expression?" James asked.

"Nope, I've got two facial expressions, smirk and smug smirk," Li told him. **(JERRY THE FROG PRODUCTIONS! Go check it out and yes that line is not mine.)** James raised an eyebrow. 

"I want to see seekers now!" yelled the coach. Li gave a 'smug smirk' to James and went over to the coach.

Li spent the rest of her day listening to 'Meve.' She resolved at the end of the day to get a pair of ear plugs. 'Meve' had obviously been a Hufflepuffs and Hufflepuffs were so damn cheerful and talkative. After practice Li apparated right away to Narcissa's house for the rehearsal dinner.

"You stink!" Narcissa yelled as soon as Li entered the house. "Go take a bath and change!" Li complied with Narcissa's orders and trudged to the stairs. Bellatrix held a handkerchief over her nose as Li passed. Li gave an amused snort. 

Li made her way downstairs after her bath. She was tired an could barely keep her head up. She looked up to see everyone waiting. 

"Sorry," she muttered. 

"S'ok Li, anything to bring out the beautiful flower that you are," Lucius said mockingly. Li sent Lucius an indignant glare. He looked away innocently and offered his arm to Narcissa. Everyone else turned away except Severus who had just arrived.

"What you looking at?" Li asked. She walked down the remaining stairs to Severus. "If it's the dress, I know. Narcissa chose it out, I have nothing to do with this atrocity." The dress Li was wearing for the night was a dark midnight blue with sparkles on it. Her hair was still tied back in the fashion she always tied it in and in her opinion Li looked like a boy in a dress with the exception that the dress was low for her tastes. Li gave Severus a hug and he had the sense to hug back and not just stand there. "What's been happening Sev?" 

"Oh nothing much. I've been working," Severus told her. "I need your help. One of my potions requires a charm outside of my ability."

"I'll help if you tell me why a potion I made recently blew up in my face," Li bargained.

"So what did you put in it?" Severus asked. The two chatted for a while. Narcissa came over to them.

"Oh LILY, one of the ushers is sick and you'll need to find a date," Narcissa said quickly. She then fled back to Lucius' side as not to be in the path of an exploding Li. 

"What the Hell!" Li shouted. Lucius shushed her from across the room. Li glared at him. "Sev? Will you go with me?" She turned to her friend and gave him puppy dog eyes. Severus sighed inwardly. 

"Sorry, I have to go with Bellatrix," Severus muttered. He made a disgusted face. Li chuckled. 

During dinner Li consumed a lot of wine so that she wouldn't have to put up with the person on her other side who must have been some relative of 'Meve.' Severus looked down the table to see Li swaying back and forth in her chair. Li was drunk as a skunk, hammared and other sorts of words that mean drunk.

"Hey Lucius, I think Li's going under," he whispered to Lucius.

"Li never could hold her alcohol," Lucius chuckled. "Why don't you take her back to her hotel?" Severus nodded and got up. He walked over to his friend. Li was very airlocked.

"Come on Li, you're going home," Severus told his friend. He pulled her up by the arm.

"No I'm not, let go of me," Li attempted to pull her arm out of Severus' grasp and ended up falling over.

Severus dragged Li out of the room. He took out a vial and looked at it lovingly. He sadly made Li drink it's contents. This potion had taken months to develop and he only had one other bottle. The potion allowed someone else to be apparated with the person doing the apparating. The two brought them to a corner near Li's hotel. He dragged her inside and upstairs to her room. Li managed to comprehend that he wanted her to open the door and found the key. Severus figured he had better unlock it and did so. The door opened.

"Thanks for the lovely evening," Li said drunkenly. Her words slurred together. She put her arms around Severus' head and pulled it to her height. She leaned forward and kissed him. Severus opened his eyes wide. What should he do? He felt Li collapse. That answered his question. He picked her up and brought her inside. He laid her down on the bed and exited the hotel room. The door locked behind him. Half of him hoped she wouldn't remember and the other half hoped she would. 

****

These are all the words I've found for being drunk, being intoxicated with drink or being a drunk.

airlocked

aled (up) 

arseholed 

banjo'd

bender 

bend one's elbow 

bevvied up 

bladdered 

blitzed

blotto 

blow out 

bombed out 

booze-up 

brained 

cane (it) 

cunted 

dipso 

drunk as a skunk

hammered 

kaylied 

lagered (up)

lagged /laggered

langered

lager lout

****

lashed up

leathered 

legless 

loaded 

mashed 

mortalled

mullered

munted

nuclear sub

off/out of one's box/chump/face/head/tits/tree/trolley

on the hoy/lash/razz(le-dazzle)

out of it

palatic

paralytic

pickled

pie-eyed

piss-artist

pissed (as a coot/fart/newt)

pissed up

piss-head

piss-up

rat-arsed/faced

ratted

ripped (to the tits)

rubbered

shedded

shirt

shit-faced

slaughtered

sloshed

smashed

soak

sozzled

stewed

stinking

stocious

sup

tiddly

trolleyed

trousered

twatfaced

wankered

wasted

well gone

wellied

whirlies

wrecked

.


	4. Chance

****

Happy New Year!

There comes a time in every seeker's life when their team is losing badly when they spot the snitch. And so the seeker is faced with a dilemma. To catch the snitch or to not catch the snitch? If the seeker successfully catches the snitch the team will automatically lose. If the seeker does no and they divert attention away, the game will continue and the chasers will have a chance to get themselves out of the three-hundred-point-ditch they got themselves into. This is a possibility, but very unlikely. Either way the seeker suffers the consequences.

If the seeker were to catch it, said seeker will look like an idiot for catching it at that time and for admitting loss. If the seeker didn't catch it, the loss will be even worse. Both ways you lose. In one scenario the other team will end the game and in one you will. There is the possibility of waiting, but that is turn made the losing worse as the other team continued to rack up points. So here's the question again. To catch the snitch or to not catch the snitch?

Li was making another decision. Either way she was going to be forced to go to the wedding with a date and she was going to have to be polite. In one situation Narcissa would pick the guy. If Narcissa did, Li could save face and protest that Narcissa made her. The down side this to this was that Narcissa would be the one to pick. You were required to sit next to your 'date' all throughout dinner and you had to dance with them.

If Li picked her own date, at least she could make sure that person was half-decent, but Lucius and Severus would never let her hear the end of it if she brought a date on her own. Now time was at a stand still. Did she lose by Narcissa's terms and save her reputation, or did she lose by her own an admit defeat?

Li tried to relate her situation to Quidditch. This always worked. If what would she do if her team was losing and would lose if she caught the snitch? Li decided that in real life she would go for it because a capture is a capture is a capture. 

"Li, Li, earth to Li," James shouted into her ear successfully bringing Li back to the present. 

"Stop shouting, I can hear you," Li argued back. 

"If coach found you were spacing out during practice…"James trailed off. He smiled evilly.

"You wouldn't," Li snarled.

"I would too," James replied. His face was a perfect copy of the trademark Li smug smirk(TM). "Tell you what, I won't tell coach if you play me in a game of Quidditch, just one on one," James said. Li opened her mouth to protest. "Here the rules first before you protest. We'll have a regular one on one with scoring with the Quaffle. Then we'll have a race for the snitch after someone reaches fifteen goals. Sound fair?"

"Let's make it more interesting, if I win you have to do a favor for me, within reason of course. If you win, I'll do the same, deal?" Li asked. This was the perfect opportunity to catch that 'snitch' and win on her own terms. She would have to take James, but he was a half-decent bloke.

"Deal," James confirmed.

"Potter! Evans! You want to pay attention? I think your 'ladies' talk can wait for later," the coach yelled at them. He was currently going over strategies with the whole team and little did he know the part truth in his statement.

"Sorry!" James yelled. All the other players chuckled a bit and went back to attempting to stay awake. "After practice?"

"You're on," Li informed him quietly. The person next to them gave them a 'Shhhh.' The person was evidently trying to read and didn't want to be caught because of the talking between the other two. Li shot him her death glare. James cringed for the guy who happened to be the team's keeper, Josh O'Rilley. Josh was a rather stocky fellow and tented to impose fear in many people's hearts. He also looked rather stupid but could confuse the hell out of people while talking about the mechanics of just about everything. It was strange to see this tall, stocky and smart wizard quivering with fear because of what Josh thought to be a short, slim, red haired man. Li was actually quite stocky as well for a woman and slightly on the tall side, but while passing for a man she seemed rather small. James knew that 'The Look' from Li was almost worse than Avarda Kedarva. (**A/N I really don't feel like looking that up how to spell it.)**

The lecture about formations in which the teams should play and moves to be used dragged on. It ended with Josh correcting the coach on how brooms were made and how they worked. The two of them got into a lively discussion leaving the rest of the team free to talk and stop compulsive fidgeting. 

After the practiced ended, Li and James went outside to the field. 

"You sure you want to do this?" James asked. The two rose in the air. James held the quaffle in his hand. Li smirked.

"Bring it on," she said softly but confidently. James smiled and feigned to the left. Lily with her catlike reflexes went right and stopped James before he had time to think about what he had done. 

"So you want to play tough?" he asked. "I'll give you tough." James quickly did a quick loop de loop and threw the ball in a downward diagonal. This was his stop ball. The one no one could catch once he threw it except him. It was kind of like the one Maniac experienced in the Town of Hector. It was a straight throw. It went down at a forty-five degree angle. The opponent would speed back expecting to keep on going, but suddenly it would stop in the air catching the opponent unaware. James who would have lowered himself in the air and now be in a straight line with the ball, would fly straight in and therefore over the person's head and go behind them to an open goal. 

Li as predicted flew back and positioned herself to where the ball should be. She saw the ball in her mind's eye. She pictured the snitch and poised herself for it's change in direction, then she remembered this was a ball that didn't have a mind of it's own and so waited for gravity to continue it's course. The ball stopped suddenly, right in midair. It didn't even begin dropping now that it had stopped. Li registered her amazement to her brain and switched direction to compensate. She raised her hand to grab it but it was swept out of her reach. James sped to the goal like there was no tomorrow and scored. He did a little victory dance and retrieved the quaffle. Once he had come back to where Li was hovering in the air he addressed her.

"Wasn't too bad, you actually reacted, most people can't do that," James informed her. Li 'smug smirked.' The two continued. Li lost twelve to fifteen. The two released the snitch and closed their eyes for a minute. James opened his eyes after the allotted time. Li still had her eyes closed; the snitch was flittering right next to her ear. She sat perfectly still. James sped forward. Li's hand moved as quickly as lightning and before anyone could say 'wow' it was in her hand. 

"I guess I won," Li said. She smiled evilly. 

"I claim it wasn't fair but someone's got to be a gentleman and that falls to me so I'll concede honorably," James replied in a formal voice.

"Wow, concede, isn't that a big word for you?" Li chuckled. James shot her an evil glare. "Anyway," Li said quickly, "I have to go to Lucius' wedding on Saturday and Narcissa told me I need a date. Since you lost you have to come." James groaned. Lishot him her death glare. Li flew to the ground quickly, that took care of that, but Li feared Severus and Lucius would never let her live this down.

****

Hi! Happy New Year all Jewish people! I hope that you too have been invaded by annoying family who crawl out of their hold at this time of the year simply to be an annoyance. Can you tell that I've been invaded? 

Anyway, I might have to write a squeal for this one too, it's going to be insanely wrong and I'm already working on what happens after they get married. No Lily is not suddenly turn into 'Lily Potter.' I actually found somewhere that I can't find right now but it's the whole list of characters and the traits usually shown in fanfics. When 'Lily Evans' becomes 'Lily Potter,' she becomes very maternal. People usually ignore Lily Potter and she usually is ok with this. She has a 'funny feeling' about Peter that no one else has and she 'thinks they should trust Remus.'Of course we all want Lily to be REALLY cool, but she can't change personality cause she gets married. Cici can vouch for this, but MY Lily Potter, is temperamental, CERTAINLY NOT A DOORMAT, stubborn and everything this Lily is.

Cici, sorry I'm not sending this to you to check over before I publish, I just really want to put it up right now.


	5. The Wedding

****

Hi all! As some of you may or may not be aware of it's Breast Cancer Awareness month or was when I started writing this and I'm here to plead that all of you who read this to support research. If there are donations or they're selling pins at your school or any other place, just take a buck and buy one. Your dollar could save my life (my family has a history of breast cancer), your friend's life, your sister' life, your cousin's life, your brother's life (guys can get breast cancer), your mother's life or even your own. So just take a minute and a dollar or more and help. That's all it takes.

Thanks all.

Oh, a line I want to se later but I don't want to forget so you all have to remind me. 

"A lily for a Lily," James said handing her the flower.

"Really original, you're just bursting with creativity," Lily retorted sarcastically. 

In response to the person who said I don't know what Lily is like, of course I don't know. None of us know. All I'm saying is my Lily won't turn into the typical Lily cause I love everyone's stories to death but I'm tired of having Lily change when she gets married. You don't wake up and become a new person. Change takes time and patience and my Lily is REALLY stubborn and wouldn't change in the instant the wedding bells start ringing.

"I don't see why I have to go," James complained when Li showed up at James' flat to take him to the wedding. 

"Because you lost our little game," Li reminded him.

"I sill don't get how it worked."

"I lost by three points the chaser portion and for a seeker that's not bad. Then I caught the snitch in three seconds which would be a record had it been a real game. Clearly I won," Li argued. 

"I still don't see how."

"You even agreed that I won."

"Fine. I have to add that you look simply marvelous," James commented changing his voice on the last part. It was true, Li did look well, like a girl. What he didn't know was that she had been forced into a chair while people had attacked her. Her short hair had been tamed to some extent and lengthened by magic. Stubbornly it refused to grow more than an inch and the poor hairdresser admitted after half an hour of trying to coax more growing out of the hair that it would have to do. Li was secretly very proud of her hair for standing up for itself and refusing to grow. The hairdresser managed to find enough hair to make two brides with a silver ribbon and give a sort of ponytail and free hair effect **(A/N that's what I call it so deal!) **The two little brides were clasped together with a pin that was a snake made of emeralds. Flowers were stuck into the folds of the brides much to Li's displeasure. She had protested violently that she had once made a promise never to wear flowers in her hair but Narcissa's look had promptly shut her up. As a way of sulking at all this, Li rid her bridesmaid's dress of frills. Narcissa was not happy at this but she grudgingly admitted that the dress did look better without the frills. Because Narcissa hadn't been seriously mad and therefore not punished enough Li refused all nail polish and makeup that she had previously been coerced into agreeing to. 

The dress was the proper silver. Little did James know but it was very traditional for the bridesmaids to wear silver dresses trimmed with green at Slytherin weddings. The groom's men would be wearing green dress robes trimmed with silver to contrast. In fact a little known thing is the competition that dressmakers experience to come up with new styles of dresses and dress robes of the silver and green colors. 

"Ready to go?" Li asked exasperatedly. 

"One minute," James told her. He disappeared into his flat. Li tapped her foot impatiently. 

"Sometime before the marriage happens? I would like to get there before Narcissa has kids," Li snapped.

"I'm the one doing you a favor here," James reminded her. The two went over to James' fireplace.

"Stop whining so much, I'm the one forcibly wearing a dress. If you would like to wear makeup, tights and heels I can arrange that!" James looked rather scared. Li sighed and took a handful of floo powder. "It's called 'Flower Hall," Li informed him. James chuckled. "It's the name of the church you idiot!" Li went off in a huff of smoke and James thought it best to follow. 

"So what am I to call you?" James inquired. "You surely aren't going as Li the Quidditch player."

"Practically everyone knows who I am. If anyone asks I'm Lily, Li's cousin. If you blow this I'll make sure you can't have kids, got that?" Li threatened. James gulped and did not doubt that she would carry out her threat in a heartbeat. "Good, let's go in." The two entered the church. Li left James in one of the seats next to Andromeda Tonks, the last Black sister who had been invited to the proceedings as a last minute thought as per request of Narcissa. Li figured each would keep the other from doing something very wrong and Tonks could tell James to keep his mouth shut about Slytherin proceedings. She went quickly over to where Narcissa was probably hyperventilating.

"Come on Narcissa, don't have second thoughts now!" could be hear from outside the door to the bride's dressing room. Li quickly realized that this voice was Bellatrix. Li shrugged and walked in. Narcissa was all dolled up. Her dress was one that had been passed down for generations. Her hair was done up as a crown on her head. A serpent clasp held her blond hair in place. Flowers were stuck in her hair to emphasize the look. Narcissa looked very beautiful, or she would have had she not had a paper bag in her mouth. 

"Breath in, breath out," Isabella couched. The calming effect of Isabella's instructions was being countered by Bellatrix ranting which she thought was helping.

"You can't be backing out now! You'd bring ruin to the Black house! You would be snuffed out from the tapestry. I'd be the only daughter left on! It would just be me and Regulas! You can't bring that shame! It's your duty to your family! Don't be ungrateful!" Bellatrix lectured.

"I don't think that's helping," Li said critically. "Take five and I'll give it a try." Bellatrix shot the redhead a glare but stayed silent. Isabella kept on couching Narcissa breathing. "Listen Narcissa. This is one of my best friends out there. You dump him at the altar I hunt you down. " Narcissa's eyes went wide and her breathing more ragged.

"Nice going," Isabells told Li. She turned her attention to Narcissa. "Listen, forget Li. Forget you family for a minute. Why are you getting married Narcissa? I for one know this is not an arranged marriage like Bellatrix's was. You are the one who asked for this marriage Narcissa, why? Just remember that ok?" Apparently it had a good effect for Narcissa took away the paper bag and seemed able to breathe on her own. 

"You're on in a minute!" Narcissa's mother called. Narcissa's looked panicked again and reached for the bag.

"You don't need that," Li told her. "You can get on without it. Alright?" Narcissa swallowed and nodded.

"How do you feel?" Isabella asked. 

"Alright," Narcissa replied in a piercing squeak that made everyone in the room cover their ears save for Narcissa. 

"Do we have time to fix that?" Bellatrix asked coldly. 

"Come on! You have to get going!" Mrs. Black hissed at them from the other side of the door. The three bridesmaids helped the bride to her feet. Narcissa looked rather pale from her lack of oxygen a moment earlier making the red makeup on her face stand out. She was the true blushing bride even if it was unintentional. 

First came Li stepped out onto the walkway. She saw the crowd exhale, they thought the bride had been coming and were very disappointed with the redhead. She walked down the aisle trying to see why anyone would want this. It seemed like a whole big waste of time and money. Marriage itself? Who wanted to be tied down to someone for life? Marriage meant no freedom to live how you wanted. Having other people got in the way. 

This mental conversation lasted her to the end of the line where she went to go sit on the benches. She was sitting on Narcissa side because bride's maids were supposed to be friends of the bride only. Li wondered why she couldn't have been an usher. 

Li saw Narcissa come out. She trained her eyes on Lucius and saw his face light up to see her. Li wondered for the second time in her life why. Li wondered how a person simply walking into a room could make anyone feel better. She had witnessed this once before when her parents had died. She had been standing in the room saying goodbye to her mother when the nurse wheeled in her father. There was no hope. The other car had hit them head on at three hundred kilos per hour **(I'm guestimating. I'm really American, I don't use metric though if I did my math project which I'm supposed to be doing would be a lot easier.)** They were lucky to alive now. Both were dying. Still Li's mum's face had lit up in happiness when her husband was brought in. Each reached out their hand for the other. Their hands linked and they smiled at each and whispered something Li couldn't figure out. Then the heart monitors had had into that that solid beep. The line had stopped its upward and downward course. Li shook the memory from her mind and concentrated on the goings on.

Narcissa finished her walked down the aisle. Li prayed she wouldn't squeak since it was traditionally for each person to say more than I do. Li took a second look at Narcissa and realized that her friend seemed much calmer then she had before. Her face was a more healthy color and when Narcissa's hands were shaking a bit violently, she could walk all right on her own. 

The ceremony seemed quite long for both Li and James. Li because she didn't like weddings and such and because she had virtually no patience for things she considered of no importance. James on the other found the ceremony long for other reasons. One of them being he had little good feelings for either of the two getting married. Another being he knew little of how Slytherins got married. It seemed so up tight and formal compared to the ceremonies he had been to previously. The Slytherins treated this more as a coming together of two families rather than of two people. It seemed to be less about the two and more about everyone who had come before and how this marriage was good for everyone. 

When it was finally over and the impatient guests were released from their fidgety silence. The whole group moved to a hall reserved for the party. They were first in the reception hall. Music was playing and several couples were dancing. Through the crowd Li located Severus.

"I can't believe you brought him," Severus whispered to Li indicating James who was standing next to the cheese dip looking quite startled at the dancing Slytherins. 

"He's the only guy I know who's half decent and besides you already had a date," Li hissed back.

"Don't remind me, I have to spend all evening trying to make polite conversation with Miss Devoted Servant of Source of all Evil who will be wondering why I haven't taken an active involvement," Severus muttered back.

"Just do what I do. Tell them you don't like commitment and you're willing to help them if they pay you well but you're not making any promises."

"It might work for you but they would threaten death and such."

"Well, they wouldn't kill you because you know the location of thousands of powerful potions, half of them only you can make. They can't threaten to kill anyone you care about either. They would never kill me. I am the mastermind behind many very necessary and complicated charms. I did get the highest charms score in a thousand years," Li told him.

"So humble," Severus teased. "What about them threatening to kill Lucius?"

"They wouldn't dare kill him either. Most of the followers of Voldemort owe alliance to the Malfoy's first and now with Lucius marring Narcissa it's a family connection. If you're a pureblood you are either related to a Black or a Malfoy so therefore they can't kill either Narcissa or Lucius. Besides, Voldemort's mum was a Malfoy. She was the sister of Lucius' grandfather making Voldemort Lucius' cousin once removed. You know that you can't go against family. It's simply not done."

"You have this very well worked out."

"One needs to have it worked out if one wants to stay alive. If they threaten you, threaten them back."

"What about your sister?" Severus asked.

"They don't know I have a sister. They don't even know who my parents are or if I'm a pureblood or not. Unless you've forgotten they think I'm a boy. I can always claim my family is from America if need be. Anyway, my sister? I mean she I family and I wouldn't want to see her killed no matter how nasty she is but I already have that worked out. I set up millions of anti apparation charms around the house. I also put one that only muggles and myself can enter the house. The house itself won't fall down for anything less that natural disaster. Of course the downside to this is it makes her easy to find. If they were to find out her name they could track her easily through the spell. Fortunately she has no idea that the spells exist and so therefore is harder to track. Plus she knows me as Lily, makes tracking her even harder."

"For not caring about her you've done a lot," Severus commented.

"Lest I can do."

"Why are you playing Quidditch again?" 

"I've told you a million times. Quidditch is more fun. Besides, what would I do? Secure people's houses? It took a whole lot of work to set up those around Petunia's house. It took even longer to get some spells on her without her knowing," Li explained. Severus nodded and took a sip from the drink he had been holding. "So how goes the job hunt?" Severus had just graduated from graduate school with a degree in advanced potions.

"Too many options. I could get a grant to do research at the Great Library," Severus told her. The Great Library of Alexandria was located in Egypt and the largest and oldest Wizarding library in the world. "I don't want to do that. I don't want to leave England. I could go into the ministry and help work there. I could join the Dark Lord. I could go back for a degree in Transfiguration so I could be an Auror, but that doesn't interest me. I got a call from someone in China. Apparently they have several rare herbs which could be useful to me. They want me to come up with a potion that would cure the common cold. Actually a whole lot of people are willing to help me come up with that one."

"I for one advocate you do some research into that," Li suggested. Severus snorted. Li never got sick except with a cold. 

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Lucius shouted. He tapped his fork on his glass to get everyone's attention. 

"I think this is my cue," Severus grumbled. He stood up as well. He said a rather choppy speech before sitting down. People stood up in turn to speak. Everyone in the room was expected to speak about best wishes to the couple. Even children were included in this. 

Everyone then proceeded to enter the main room. There was a D.J. playing all the popular songs. The groom brought his bride onto the floor for their first dance as a married couple. James located Li. She was sitting next to Snape. James saw Bellatrix walk over and pull Snape up to dance leaving Li all alone. James made his way over to her side. 

"Hello," he greeted her.

"Hi," she replied. James sat down next to her. The two of them watched the newly weds dance. "You ever going to be like that?" she asked. James looked over at her. She had a kind of blissful look on her face.

"I'd like to, if I ever met the right person," he said. He turned his attention back to the couple dancing.

"Think you ever will?" Li asked. "Met her I mean."

"I would like to think so. How about you, ever plan on settling down?"

"No way. I've got way too much to do to get married or be committed to anyone. Besides, the whole idea of marring and dating and such is silly. There's no point."

"Won't being alone all the time make you lonely?"

"I've got Lucius and Severus, they're all I need family and friend wise. I've got my work, don't need anything else."

"I bet one day you'll be singing a different tune. I bet that you'll be married within the next nine months," James said. He spoke in his cocky I'm so smart voice.

"You want to put money on that?" Li asked. 

"Why not? How about twenty gallons?" James asked. James knew this was rash, but why not? Twenty gallons was no big deal.

"Fine then, twenty gallons it is." Li rummaged through a bag and retrieved her list of bets. She wrote down all the information and had James sign it. "Nice doing business with you. I'll be sure to collect my twenty gallons." Li smiled her smug smirk and rolled up the list. 

****

Sorry I took so long to get this out. It's been the tough day. I really want to sit down a cry. I wrote the last part while being really upset so if it's bad I blame it on that. I'm not going to go into gory details, but I'm sorry if it doesn't live up to expectations. I seem to be letting everyone down now don't I?


	6. Ashes, Ashes we all fall down

Hi! Sorry if there isn't enough L/J action for some of you, but I need to take my time with this. Otherwise I'll believe the plot is too rushed. Besides, if they get together too quickly than the story ends sooner. I've just realized I don't have a single disclaimer. DISCLAIMER 1: I relinquish all my nonexistent rights to the characters. The characters aren't mine, just victims of my plot. All you would win if you sued me is Leonard Rupert, the third mechanically depressed printer to live in my house. Oh my love, please don't cry, I'll wash my bloody hands and we'll start a new life. Disclaimer 2. Interview format and some of the altered text courtesy of my YM magazine from February 2002. Why I still have it I have no idea, but YM and other such magazines really do help occasionally. Article on Josh Hartnett (FYI I have no idea who he is) I forced myself to read it. By Ali Gazan. And I am in no way insulting the article. I thought the article was rather good, but I rarely read things like that and needed to base mine off something. Got that? No suing or you have to deal with Leonard Rupert. Disclaimer 3: The author doesn't share the anti-gay opinions expressed in this chapter nor does she want to incur the wrath of people who are on either side of the issue. Disclaimer 4. This chapter is slightly violent and may be found offensive by some people.  
The Witch Weekly Star of the Week By Azela Heartsberg I'll admit I have a small crush on Li Evans. I'd even change my last name  
for him.  
But beyond his good looks I know nothing about him except that he plays  
Seeker on Britain's own Chuddley Cannons. This man of mystery has never done any interviews, and he's pretty much MIA when it comes to the party  
scene. I figured the best way to learn about the 22 year-old Quidditch  
player would be to make a pilgrimage to his new flat in a town outside  
London. The town was a small muggle one. I couldn't believe Li hadn't moved to the  
Wizard populated downtown London. The town was so small that an "accidental" run into with the star seemed quite likely. I walked around  
the whole town and even to a Quidditch field that is concealed against muggles as an overgrown field. I would have never found it if I hadn't been  
looking for it. This was where Li played Quidditch for the first time.  
Maybe he once stood where I was standing. The photographer and I went around town. By this time we were starving so  
we stopped to eat at a restaurant Li supposedly eats at regularly. I expected it to be this huge place, but actually it was rather plain. The food was ok there. The muggle owners couldn't tell me anything about our  
star. Walking around town we couldn't find anyone who knows him. Li  
definitely keeps a low profile.  
We then headed to Hogwarts for a talk with his former teachers.  
One of Li's nasty little secrets we found is that he was a former  
Slytherin, but we soon found that this title meant nothing as everyone  
seemed to have something good to say about him. "Li was a delightful student." says Headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore. "He had his share of scrapes with my students because of the house rivalry, but it seemed to be all in good fun.an extraordinary student," Professor McGonagall admits. It seems our man of mystery was also a bit of a bad boy  
in his younger days, but the compliments of Professor McGonagall are  
apparently very hard for a Slytherin to win.  
"He was the best student I ever had," Professor Flitwick, the charms  
teacher, told us. "He was always coming up with new delightful spells.  
Someone of them will even be taught next year to our students."  
All this about Li being a good student makes me wonder why he went into Quidditch. Our next logical stop was therefore to visit Madam Hooch, the  
flying instructor.  
"He was the best flyer in my first year class. I was thinking about  
dropping the "no first years of the house team" policy for him. He was  
probably the best flyer ever to grace Hogwarts Halls," says the  
electrifying teacher. Madam Hooch looked very much like she dropped her  
toaster into the bath that morning.  
We found out from Madam Hooch that once Li fell over thirty feet from a broomstick while flying hanging upside down by his legs at over a hundred kilometers per hour while going in loop de loops. Apparently he was chasing  
the snitch and caught it.  
We went back to Li's flat in hopes of seeing him but were met by his friend, Severus. The two met each other and their third friend Lucius in  
the Headmaster's office on a day when they were all in trouble. The two  
friends are not flat mates, but Severus apparently lives in the same  
building as his famous friend. When we asked Severus about Li, he was very vague about his friend and even  
told us to sod off. I wondered why Li would be hanging out with such a  
person. We stood outside the apartment building. Most of the flats had balconies, and I could just imagine Li looking down at me from his balcony on the top floor (we managed to get out of Severus that Li enjoys heights) wondering why I was holding big signs with his name on it. I thought that maybe the  
heartthrob would come down and talk to me.  
  
Li snorted and passed the article back to Lucius. Lucius put it down neatly on a stack that seemed about a foot high.  
"Who the hell is that woman?" Li pondered. "And since when am I a heartthrob?"  
"Oh Li, you're beyond good looks," Lucius teased in a higher voice.  
"Hey Sev, when did she come around?" Li asked.  
"The bloody woman came into the building last week and starting banging on all the doors, calling your name. She kept asking me the stupidest questions like what your favorite food was," Severus replied. "Where were you by the way when you threw me to the lion?"  
"In the morning, I had practice. After that I spent an hour explaining to James how to do Alohomora properly. Honestly, he thinks that you do this circular motion with your wand when it's a simple flick-swish- flick. After that I flew around a bit before going to Diagon and Knockturn Alleys. Here's your Mandrake root by the way. Cost me a bundle," Li handed Severus a brown paper bag and then turned toward Lucius. "How'd you get that magazine anyway?"  
"It's one Narcissa gets. In case you were wondering, your face is on the cover along with 'Li Evans, hottie of the year!'" Lucius raised an eyebrow and looked scandalized. He flipped over the magazine so she could see. Li shoved him, and the three friends laughed.  
"So how's married life?" Severus asked.  
"It's the same as not being married. Only difference is I can't shag other girls, but to make up for it I can shag Narcissa whenever I want. I now get to be Head of a household and keep Narcissa in line," Lucius told his friends.  
"Is that why these flowers say 'I love you pookie?'" Li asked while reading the card with a pair of roses. It seemed that there were five vases full of flowers.  
"It looks like she's got you whipped man," Severus snorted. Lucius glared while his friends continued to laugh. Li and Severus soon needed to lean on each other for support.  
"I don't know why I try to explain the joy of marriage to two bachelors," Lucius muttered.  
"Speaking of bachelors, it's one of the chasers on my team's bachelor party and I have to go to it," Li told her friends grudgingly.  
"Good luck. Don't have too much to drink. Drinking a lot at those things comes to bite you in the arse," Lucius advised. Severus and Li remembered Lucius' bachelor party when Lucius had gotten up on a table and did "I'm a Little Teapot." Li hugged her friends and said a quick goodbye. The sooner she left the less she would hear about that incident. She hurriedly flooed over to where the team was meeting.  
  
Hail Psi was getting married. He was a chaser on the team who really went by Michael Paterson. The team had an obsession with coming up with nicknames for everyone. Hail Psi or Hail the Psychic, was the name given to the soon to be married chaser. Hail Psi had gotten his by predicting their Quidditch matches. He had an ability that would have made the divination teacher at Hogwarts jealous. He didn't predict things, or come outright and say whether they would win or not. He would approach random people and say things like "Throw salt over your left shoulder." No one would get what he meant until after the game. The team realized that he was referring to their chaser dropping the Quaffle because a bludger flew over his left shoulder and hit their opponent instead. This was akin to the custom of the Romans throwing salt over their left shoulder to hurt the demons that had caused them to spill the salt. (A/N true according to my high school honors history teacher.)  
Hail Psi had once told Li to find a needle in a haystack. It turns out that that the game in which Li had gotten a chance to play, she/he had had to fly into the clouds to find the snitch, its white wings blending in with them.  
When people asked Hail Psi what he meant by these predictions, he always said he didn't know. He admitted that he himself had no idea what they meant but felt compelled to say them anyway to the specific person.  
Li had tried to get out of the bachelor party. Spending the evening with a group of former Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors was not her cup of tea. She had claimed everything from a dinner party with her parents to being sick, but Hail Psi had said if need be, he would change the date of the party so Li "Slick seek" Evans could come to the party. When questioned why, he said the fate of the world would be changed by the reserve seeker's presence at the party. The team had warned from experience that these random things were usually to be followed, so they coaxed Li into coming. Li personally thought the predictions were a bunch of baloney, but when James, two burly starting beaters, two equally menacing reserve seekers, one rather annoying seeker, the coach, the assistant coach, the supposed psychic, and four other bloody chaser-prats insisted she come, she had no choice but to go.  
"Is this going to take long?" an irritated Li asked James as soon as she arrived.  
"Relax, we're just going to spend a few hours at a strip club then head back to a hotel. Lighten up and enjoy the "musical performances" of the Essex girls. Oh yea, I forgot, you don't like girls. Or maybe you actually DO swing that way," James said pretending to be scandalized.  
Li whacked James soundly on the back with the closest object, a broom, and was quite glad that many of the guys had had at least one drink before arriving and that they were too absorbed in their own conversations.  
  
"Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I was only joking. Don't give me an ear bashing. I just thought of this, you can put this statement in if you want or change it to your liking. 'Maybe you'd rather go back to the hotel and do a little dance for me?'" James always found teasing Li amusing. The only problem was you took your life into your own hands when you did.  
"You're a prat, did you know that?" Li asked. Before James could answer, Hail Psi stood up in front of the crowd.  
"Hey team!" he cried mocking what the coach often said.  
"Hey what?" the team responded automatically.  
"I'm getting married tomorrow!"  
"Good to know," Li muttered. James smirked.  
"So what are we doing here? This is my last night as a free man! Let's go out and party!" Hail Psi called out. He was obviously one of those who had already had a bit to drink. The party moved out, and Li soon found herself sitting at a table with a front row view of the dancers. None of the customers in the bar were women. The waitress came over to them, and Li could immediately see why the popular bar was full of men. Part of the uniform was not wearing a top. Li quickly ordered a drink and looked down. James chuckled at Li's reaction and took a sip of his ale.  
"What's the matter, Li? The ladies here not good enough?" one of the beaters slurred drunkenly. He laughed like an idiot and turned back to drooling over the women. Li made a sound of disgust and stared at the bottom of her drink. She really didn't want to be there. She didn't like looking at members of her gender stripping. It just wasn't her thing. She found this whole experience degrading to woman as a whole and gave more evidence to her women are weak mentality. Not to mention hanging out with these guys was insufferable. Maybe she could drown at the bottom if the wished it hard enough. Unfortunately Li realised her head was too big to fit into the glass.  
"It's not going to run away," the assistant coach, B Batty, jokingly assured Li as he walked past.  
Across the table, Hail Psi and the rest of the team were all observing Li's behaviour and his lack of interest in the girls.  
"I wonder what's wrong with Sly Seek," a chaser whispered to Hail Psi.  
"Maybe he's tired," a beater replied.  
"Maybe he's got a girlfriend," the chaser countered.  
"He never talks about girls. Then again he's really quiet. He's probably got a girl that will yell at him for looking at the girls."  
"Hmm, maybe, but my intuition is telling me that 'Appearances can be rather deceiving,'" Hail Psi informed them.  
"What? You saying he doesn't like girls?" the beater asked.  
"How should I know? I just say the words, I don't know what they mean," Hail Psi retorted.  
"It would make sense, you know, if he is gay. He keeps to himself a lot, and you wouldn't believe this, but I've caught him with women's magazines on occasion.  
"That doesn't really mean anything. He could have been looking at the girls in it. Or it might be his girlfriend's or sister's." Hail disagreed. Everyone at the far end of the table watched Li put an arm around James. James in turn put his arm around the person in question. What they didn't know was that Li had come close to falling. She had reached out to James to keep from falling off the chair. James had put his arm around Li's waist to prevent future possible falls.  
"No, there's definitely something different about him. It seems like he's trying to imitate us. Sometimes the way he behaves is just not like 'one of us,'" the chaser commented.  
"If he is, that's just wrong. Gay guys are disgusting," a keeper put in. "They're filthy." The eyes of the team once again fell to Li and James. Li put her head on James' shoulder and closed her eyes. Her head was so heavy and James' shoulder was preferable to the disgusting table with its beer spills and food crumbs.  
"Wait a minutes, guys, Li is an okay guy. We all have a good time together, on and off the field. We know Li better than that. He wouldn't keep something important from us. Besides, he'd still be the same whether he likes girls or guys," Hail Psi continued to argue.  
The drunk beater ignored his last comment. "Hail, we really don't know him at all. Can anyone even tell me if he has any siblings? Or who his friends are? Or even his Hogwarts house?"  
"I know he's friends with some supporters of Voldemort," the chaser said. "That adds another crime to his list."  
"Another crime to his list?" repeated Hail, exasperated.  
"Supporting the Dark Lord and being gay, of course."  
"Now hold on." Hail Psi protested.  
"Look at that! It's disgusting! He and James are going start making out any minute If that doesn't prove he's gay I don't know what will. I don't want something like that on any team I belong to. Let's get him!" the beater yelled. The mob, which now consisted of all the drunken team-mates excluding Li, James, Hail Psi, the coach, and the assistant coach, rushed at the accused. Someone grabbed a wand that hadn't been collected by the "designated driver."  
Li looked up at the noise of people shouting, a mob of her teammates coming toward her, looking angry. Li looked around frantically for her wand or at least someone to help her. James had gone to the loo, and the coach and the assistant coach were across the room. Hail Psi seemed to be trying to reason with the mob, but it looked hopeless.  
"Dolor!" yelled the person with the wand. Li felt her blood grow warm. A slim line of blood pencilled a line up her arm. Li knew this curse would cause other cuts to form all over her body, as if a needle were cutting into her. The curse began to cut the material of her shirt to pieces. If she moved now, the corset Li wore to bind her breasts would fall apart. As the curse took over her body, Li saw figures appear hazily in the background. She saw her mum being shot and her father wasting away in a hospital bed. She saw Severus and the Dark Lord step out of the shadows. She heard Voldemort call "Avada Kedavra!" and Severus' body slumped to the ground. 'This never happened, this never happened,' Li tried to tell herself. Tears rushed from her eyes as she saw the bodies of her mum, her father and Severus. Then a gravestone appeared. On it appeared the name, James Potter.  
Dolor was the pain curse, causing all the physical and emotional pain one person could stand and stopping just short of killing them. Li felt the warm blood flow down her arms. She soon experienced a new pain on the back of her head, and her whole world went dark.  
"I got him!" shouted a keeper who had snuck up behind Li and knocked her out with an empty beer bottle. She fell down on her face.  
"Sano!" shouted Hail Psi. Any Latin word implying stopping or healing could be used as a countercurse for Dolor, the only reason why it wasn't one of the Unforgivables. The one Hail Psi used literally meant 'to heal.'  
  
"Get back!" The coach and the assistant coach quickly shot as many stunning spells on the unarmed mob. James rushed toward Li.  
"Check those cuts! See how deep they are!" the coach yelled over his shoulder. James turned Li over. The remains of her shirt and corset fell away.  
Everyone stood there in silence. All action stopped in its place, and no one could speak.  
'The bastards!' James cursed in his mind. He threw his cloak over Li and threw one last death glare at the mob. He apparated away without a trace, taking his fallen comrade with him.  
  
(A/N Ah break time. Huzzah. Don't worry it's not over. I'm taking this opportunity to tell you all that this next part WAS NOT checked over by my beta reader and therefore has MANY mistakes and plot errors. Just to let you know. Oh, once more I'm goiving a language warning. THIS IS A PG-13 story. I'm allowed to curse when I feel it necessary, but for those more conservative people I'm avoiding the F curse and keeping "bitch" to a low. No one talk to me about this cause I warned you and I can quote it later on if you complain. Oh, I may be the daughter of a doctor, but I have no idea how this stuff works so please excuse me.)  
  
"Open the door!" James yelled at the top of his lungs. James shifted the unconscious Li in his arms. Surprisingly for such a buff woman she was quiet light. James knew she lived on the top floor of this complex, but he had no idea where she kept her keys and the standard unlocking spell wasn't working. James had managed to locate an address in Li's pocket. It was for a flat five flights down from Li's. James prayed it was someone who could help. The door unlocked slowly and showed a dark face.  
"Potter," hissed the voice of the man who had opened the door. His face turned into a snarl.  
"Forget that for a minute Snape. Li's hurt," James explained. The man's face changed immediately. It became a worried look. He opened all the way and James found Li being ripped from his arms. Snape carried her over to a couch. He gently lay the woman on the couch and began to examine her wounds.  
"It's not so bad, the cut isn't deep. It will need to be dressed and cleaned quickly or we risk infections. She does appear to have a mild concussion. We're going to have to force her to wake up. It won't be easy. How long has she been like this?" Snape asked.  
"About half an hour," James said taken aback. How did Snape know all this?  
"Shit. Ok, we're going to have to get her to wake up now. Have to wake her up by traditional methods. If she's been like this for that long, no spell will work," Snape explained. James opened his mouth to speak. "No we can't just use Ennervate. That only works when someone has been stunned. I thought you were training to be an Auror on the side of your Quidditch playing. Honestly." He stopped and examined the back of Li's head. "It appears to have been caused by a blunt object, but I'm guessing it either broke or there was something sharp, you see these cuts? We've got to get her to wake up. Unfortunately she'll be awake while I'm cleaning out these wounds. As I said before, none are deep, thankfully there's no damage to any vital organs from what I can tell, but I'd like a second opinion. The spell causes the blood to warm so we're going to need a blood fixing potion to make sure nothing was damaged. Well what are you doing standing there? Are you daft? The potion I need is in the backroom. It's labeled number twenty-five. It should be a greenish color. Bring it her. In the bathroom there should be some bandages. I don't think I have enough you'll have to fetch some bandages from Li's flat later."  
"What makes you think I'm staying?" James asked. "I brought her here, I did my part. I could have left her there."  
"If you don't help me, there a possibility she won't wake up. Or it could turn out that she gets an infection because I didn't clean these wounds out in time. Her rib cage protected her, but it cut something. Look, some leave an opening for viruses to get in and they are pretty damn close to some important stuff. She lost a whole lot of blood. We need to make sure all of them clot later so she doesn't lose more and the warming of her blood could have caused problems. So you are either going to help me. If anything happens to her I swear I will hunt you down. You got that you son of a bitch?" Snape threatened. James nodded. He ran to get everything Snape needed.  
"There was no blood replacement potion," James told Snape.  
"I haven't been able to get her up. You try and I'll cook up some more potion. If she wakes up give her the potion you have there. Use the alcohol to clean out her cuts and then wrap it quickly," Snape ordered before disappearing.  
"Um, wake up?" James asked Li tentatively. He shook her arm gently. She remained a sleep. She looked like one who was dead. Not exactly peaceful, just not home. James shook her harder. He yelled in her ear, but still she wouldn't wake up. James started to panic and summoned a bucket of water. In the process of pouring it on Li her got at least half of it on himself. Li's eyes fluttered open and instant relief flooded into James. Green eyes opened to the world before closing again heavily.  
"WAKE UP DAMN IT!" James screamed at her. Her eyes opened again. James continued to yell for fear she would go back to sleep.  
"What." Li slurred. James shoved the potion at her and forced it into her mouth. She coughed and sputtered as the liquid slid down her throat.  
  
You know what? I'm leaving it here. I can't think of anything to come next at the moment that would continue the scene. Only gentle flames allowed here. I don't want a forest fire. This was the best way I could think of and never fear, L/J is around the next few chapters. 


	7. On the Sidelines

Li entered the stadium ticket in hand. Her bright red hair was tucked away into a cap and her green eyes covered by dark shades. She was wearing a large jacket similar to one high school athlete's wear. All in all she looked very inconspicuous in the crowd where half were dressed as muggles the other half in their wizarding clothes. She walked through the crowd to her seat. Lucius had offered to let her watch it from the box that he had reserved before she had been kicked off the team but she had declined. Lucius and Severus had watched everyone one of her games from that box. Now they were both protesting. Lucius was saying how he refused to fund the Cannons now. Li wished they would just stop; she didn't want to be on the team just because her friend was rich. She found her seat with the other fans. It was directly behind where the marching band was sitting.  
  
"It's cold," complained one trumpet.  
  
"No shit Sherlock," muttered the section leader. "How the bloody hell did I get drafted into doing this?" the trumpet complained. "Freshmen don't have to be in marching band."  
  
"It would be fine if it wasn't so damn cold," whined a clarinet.  
  
"At least you aren't carrying a heavy metal instrument," the trumpet reroted.  
  
"Sargent Pepper!" called the band director. "When our team takes the foul." All the brass players stood up.  
  
"Cheerleaders!" shouted a saxophone. The whole band waited while the cheerleaders tried to give spirit to the fans.  
  
"If I have to hear that one more time I swear I will scream," commented a colorguard.  
  
"I'm a self-respecting musican. I've got a place reserved for me in the Wizarding England Orchestra. Why do I have to be out here ruining my extra clarinet?" asked yet another clarinet.  
  
"Oh hush its Quidditch, it's not that bad," scolded someone else.  
  
"Ever since they kicked Li..." started a trombone. The conversation had moved to the low brass.  
  
"Lily from what I hear," interrupted a French horn.  
  
"Ok, Lily. Ever since they kicked off the team they're bad. She was their best player," the trombone continued.  
  
"Was not, James Potter was," interrupted a different trumpet player. He turned away from the low brass and shouted at the field, "WE LOVE YOU JAMES!" The other trumpet players scooted away from him.  
  
"I don't know you," one muttered.  
  
"He gives brassholes a bad name," muttered someone else.  
  
"It's cold," the first trumpet player started again.  
  
"We get that already," an alto sax yelled.  
  
"Just shut up already," come from someone else.  
  
"He stole my glove!"  
  
"Hey Ryan, give me back my hat!"  
  
"Can you guys stop it? You almost knocked down my flip folder!"  
  
They all continued squabbling and generally having a good time. Li had never thought about the marching band or where they came from. They simply supplied the music she heard from time to time. She had never considered what it was like to sit out here rather than be in on the action. Never again would she be able to play on this field.  
  
"Liar!"  
  
"She broke the contract!"  
  
"Didn't reveal to us this information!"  
  
"It's against that law!" started sounding through Li's mind. She remembered the day her court room appearance had started. It had begun with all of those accusations. She had broken the law, they said. She had told them that the job description never asked her gender.  
  
In the end the court had ordered that she be taken off the team. She was never to play in the men's Quidditch League again. The judge had ordered that scouts be sent out to see if there was any interest in a girl's side. If there was Li or Miss Lily Evans, as they kept calling her, would be contacted and put on a team.  
  
'Woop-di-do," thought Li sarcastically. A girl's side was going to be filled with sissies, girls who cared more about looking good while playing than actually playing. Any ads for the team would mention seeing cute girls.  
  
She stood up even though it was only two minutes till half time. She couldn't stand to watch her former team. She didn't want to be on the sidelines. There was a shout and Li felt herself being knocked over. Her hat fell off her head to the ground in front of her. No one paid attention except the band, who were getting ready to leave for the half time show. Li heard someone gasp.  
  
"Li, sorry, Lily Evans?" whispered the first trumpet player.  
  
"Come on Andrea, you're going to get left behind," yelled the girl's section leader.  
  
"Just a minute, I forgot the flip folder off my trumpet. I'll be there in a minute," she called back. The girl turned back to Li. "Just want to say you're a model for us all. I hope a girls' side is formed. I don't like Quidditch much, but my sister wants to play. Oh, can I have your autograph?" Li sighed.  
  
"Sure fine," Li muttered. "Just don't tell anyone I'm here." Li flipped out a quill that had ended up in her pocket and quickly scribbled her name on a piece of music that the girl held out.  
  
"Ok," the girl said. "Here's you hat." Li saw the blue wool being offered in front of her. "I got to go. It's one of the last shows of the season. Why did I allow my mum to talking me into being in marching band this year?" The girl picked up her trumpet and left. Li noted that the girl was the only female among the trumpets and brass as a whole.  
  
Li shoved her hat over her head and adjusted her sun glasses. She trudged down the long steps to the bottom and exited to the apperating site.  
  
The familiar setting of her flat came into view with a pop. She threw off her hat and glasses and headed to the kitchen. Sitting there on the window sill was Severus' owl. Two papers were attached to its leg. She untied them both and first read the one with Severus' familiar scrawl.  
  
For some reason all your bloody mail always comes to my flat. Oh well, I get to know your big news before you do. After you read the other letter come down and we'll go out to dinner, I've got Lucius on the standby. He insists on coming too even though Narcissa told me that she won't allow him to come out to hang with his poor neglected old friends.  
  
I hope he doesn't bring the whole death eater thing into the picture again. It's getting really annoying. I think I'll join just to shut him up.  
  
Anyway, just come down after you've read the other one.  
  
Severus.  
  
Li smiled and frowned at the same time. She hoped Lucius wouldn't bring up Voldemort again and his friends' lack of joining. Truth be told she didn't really want to be apart of either side. One was old and corrupt, the other was simply too violent. She had decided long ago to make new charms and sell the exclusive contracts to the highest bidder.  
  
In fact Li's charm work had been paying the rent recently since she had lost her job with the Cannons nearly a month ago. Since then Lucius had been hounding her to join more frequently. Oy.  
  
Li moved to open the other letter.  
  
Miss Lily Evans,  
  
A team has been assembled. It will the Hogsmeade Horntails, the Women's side for the London Area. Three other teams have been formed in England, two in Ireland, one in Scotland and one in Whales.  
  
We hope you will accept the position as Seeker and team captain on our team. Your teammates, should you accept, will be Andrea Harris, chaser, Jill Karvesian, beater, Jesse Karvesian, beater, An-mei Wong, chaser, Bridget Lewis, chaser and Liza Smith keeper.  
  
The first practice will be next week on Saturday at two. Further practices will be decided by the team. If you reject this, please respond by owl carried within three days.  
  
Thank you,  
  
Katie Opelian, Assistant Head of Sports and Magical Games  
  
Li stared at the paper for a bit wondering if this was all a grand practical joke. If it was she had nothing to lose, her reputation was already gone. She shrugged and made her way downstairs.  
  
Hey guys, sorry, no inspo flowing recently plus my new comp deleted ALL my files including the next few chapters I had written. Hope you liked this chapter. Here's my conclusion about people's instruments and their personalities and remember, this is the TYPICAL person, not every. Based soley on people I know. Trumpets: Loud, egotistical (HAVE REALLY LARGE EGOS!!!!!!!!) Greet each other with the "Hi I'm insert name here I'm better than you are," attitude.  
  
Flutes: very giggley. Clarinets: Chatty. I've never met a non talkative clarinet. I don't have a lot on them since I'm not friends with any currently. Drumners: don't feel comfortable unless there's a beat. Be it taping, loud music with bass turned up, fidgeting or walking, these people have trouble sitting still. Trombones: unpredictable. The three trombones I know, who I know rather well, have nothing in common other than the fact that they never laugh when I think they will and do when I think they won't. Violins: I got nothing on them, I've had two friends who play, but I'm not in orchestra, so I wouldn't know. From what I've observed they do tend to be easily distracted people. Saxophones: They're a combination of the trumpets and the clarinets cause they play a reed instrument that's made of brass. They're chatty with larger than life personalities. Oboes: tend to be more mellow people, or at least people who appear mellow. All the oboes I know (3) also have this attitude that they're a whole lot wiser than I am. They always appear to be comfortable where ever you put them except for the occasional moment.  
  
That's all I got for now. Bye! 


	8. New Team

A/N I'm very sorry who I offended by my generizations of the instruments. That was simply from my experience with various instruments. I have heard of quiet trumpets, MOST of the trumpets I have talked to have been very egotistical just like I am and MOST of the drummers I've known have a lot of trouble going without some sort of beat. This one drummer who I'm friends with listens to music with loud drums and bass when she's not playing. She can't stand going for a long time without listening. There's nothing wrong with that. It's simply an attribute gained by many who play the drums because they have to keep the beat for the band. I understand that some people have been offended by what I've said, but still I do not appreciate being cursed at. You can yell at me all you want, but I draw the line at being called a bitch. BTW Huzzah for girl drummers (1 in my school). I've only met two in my life and Huzzah for all who do. Likewise Huzzah for male flutes (2 in my school). And for Male color guards. And for female trumpets (I'm the only one in my school) and Saxes (only 3). Huzzah for everyone else too.  
  
Sorry for lack of writing. I'm going through a bit right now. Not all of its bad, but a lot of it is really depressing me. My sister and I had this really great talk about fan fiction, reviews and such. She advised me to repost one of my comments and correct the grammar, but I'm not that mean. Well, I might be, but not at this moment. Now the person who left the comment is probably going to call me "Miss Bitch" again and yell at me and be mad because I was being overly hyper one night and added the instrument thing in my author's notes. I'm not overly sensitive about cursing or anything, I just think that when giving your opinion on something you shouldn't curse, especially on a site such as this which is meant to help writers improve. I do thank the person who left that comment for leaving a name for me to get back to if I really wanted. I probably won't here, but it adds validity, and I think it takes courage to do so. So many people hide behind anonymous and say really mean things. Then again many anonymousness are very supportive. Anyways, I never meant for anyone to be offended, so if we can put all of this behind us and move on it would be good.  
  
Oh, BTW, one of the characters is gay. If this offends you severely, then sorry, but that's the way she turned out. She just can't think straight and she's calling in queer.  
  
The field which Li walked onto was dilapidated. Li meant decrepit in the fullest sense of the word. It was lapis-stone and it was falling apart. It looked like a child's sand castle wall only with rocks. The lawn on which they were to play had weeds all over reaching about knee high.  
"Oh hi!" called out a voice to Li. Li stopped her disgusted investigation of the field and turned to the voice. "It's beautiful isn't it?" That was said without any sarcasm. The girl to whom the voice belonged was short. She must have been half a head shorter than Li who barely made the tall side of average. The girl was also fat. Li could see the flab on her arm move as the girl waved. She also saw the girl was dressed to play quidditch and had her mouse brown hair pulled back in a practical ponytail.  
  
"It's peachy," Li replied with heavy sarcasm.  
"It's probably not as good as you've been used to," the girl apologized, "but it's a lot better than what we've been working with for the past five years."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Me and the girls. An-mei, Bridget, Lisa and I have been playing together for years. We used to play in the back alleys of Hogsmeade; to actually have a field is great.  
"And you are?"  
"Oh, sorry, I'm Andrea, Andrea Harris. It's an honor to meet you.... Li or Lily?" the girl said enthusiastically.  
"Li."  
"Ok, it's a shame with a pretty name like Lily, but I suppose Li is easier. Come on, I'll take you to meet the others." Andrea started off toward a door in the wall. Li had no choice but to follow.  
They entered the room. It was like any other changing room Li had been in only with pictures everywhere. One section had pictures of quidditch teams, another had fashion models. Another had what appeared to be family photos. Yet another had pictures of famous writers and people Li didn't know. There were three more walls, but they were all blank.  
"We all decorated a wall, you can claim any of the ones left," Andrea explained. A girl was in the locker room changing. She was tall and lean. Li suspected this girl must be anorexic with the little body fat she had on her. She looked like a supermodel. Her hair was a dirty blond and had gel in it to keep the curls in tact. Li wondered whether any would crack if she were to bend it the other way.  
"So it's Li Evans?" the girl asked. Her speech was void of any hint of British accent. "I knew you were like a girl all along."  
"You did not," said a voice from the showers. "You had pictures other as a him all over your bedroom and you cried for days when you found out." Someone else stepped into the room. This girl looked like a quidditch player. She was stocky and obviously well muscled and strong. She was dressed in a t-shirt and old jeans. Her chestnut hair was chin length, but the majority of it was pulled back and the girl was pinning the rest back so it wouldn't get in her face.  
"BRID!" yelled the blond girl indignantly. "You know it's like not true!"  
"Is too! I have the phone bill from you calling me to prove it. Sorry, you must excuse Lisa's manners and the fact that she's a pathological liar."  
"AM not!"  
"You are too, now be quiet. I'm Bridget Lewis by the way and that sorry excuse for a quidditch player is Lisa Smith."  
"I can like whip your arse at quidditch like any day."  
"Come on, we all know that keeper isn't a real position," Bridget teased. This seemed to be an old argument between them. Li could tell that she and Bridget would get along fine.  
"Is too, you couldn't like block a um quaffle if your life like um depended on it."  
"Well you couldn't shoot a quaffle straight if James Potter's life depended on it!" Bridget yelled back. "She has a major crush on him. It used to be you before she found out you were a girl."  
"I can um remember SOMEONE'S girlfriend being very mad when you like said that Li was like damned fine when you found out she was like a girl."  
"You know you just wanted to steal my girl," Bridget joked. "Oh, Li welcome to the team and when An-mei comes, I wouldn't mention parents. In fact, you probably shouldn't say anything except your name."  
"Why?" Lisa asked.  
"Don't you remember? An-mei got a howler from her mum," Bridget reminded her.  
"It didn't sound bad," Lisa remarked.  
"But you know how Mrs. Wong can be," Andrea said before remembering that Li didn't know Mrs. Wong. "An-mei's mum is a bit controlling to say the least." Bridget coughed and it sounded like "understatement of the year."  
"And I wouldn't call her like any um nicknames. She got really mad at me when I like called her Mei. And don't like call her by like her Christian name," Lisa warned. Li looked at her blankly.  
"Her Christian name is Theodora. She tends to hit the person who calls her that," Andrea explained.  
"So you play seeker right? It's good to be a brilliant game. We're going to be playing our first game in about a month. It's going to be wicked fun playing against people who want to play rather than the bored girls at the café. It's all thanks to you we have a girls' side now. Andrea, An-mei and I graduated Hogwarts two years ago. We stayed in Hogsmeade trying to petition the ministry into creating a team for us. Unfortunately they didn't listen and we have to get jobs at the bookstore so we could stay and keep petitioning. The girls next door had been in our year so we challenged them to games. They never wanted to play though except for Lisa here who had just come from the US," Bridget told her.  
"We chained ourselves to the doors until they allowed us to try out. They didn't want any one good on the teams cause they like wanted it to um die out before the whole girls' side like um got started," Lisa put in.  
"We also refused to move until they got us proper uniforms and not just mini-skirts," Bridget commented.  
"And for that I thank you," a new voice interrupted. "We wouldn't have been able to play in those types of things." The newcomer was the tallest of the group so far at about 180 centimeters (70.9 inches or almost 5 foot 11.) from what Li could tell. Her skin was coffee and cream color. She had deep brown eyes that were set in a cool expression. Her hair was black and bone straight. It reached her waist. She was skinny, but not supermodel so like Lisa. Her face was thin and angular.  
"We?" Lisa asked predictably.  
"My sister and I," the girl said. She stepped out of the doorway to reveal another woman. This second woman looked exactly the same. Their faces were the same down to the tightly drawn lips and the very hairs on their heads. Li was sure she would have mixed them up if it weren't for one very obvious fact. As one sister was exceptionally tall, the other was extremely short. She must have been about 130 centimeters (55.2 inches or 4 foot7.) Other than this they looked exactly the same in everyway. If they hadn't been standing next to each other Li would have thought she was seeing things.  
"Hello, I'm Andrea, this is Li, the blond over there is Lisa and the other girl is Bridget. I'm very pleased to meet you," Andrea said politely even though she was clearly taken aback by the appearance of the two girls standing next to each other. Li found the situation hilarious. The taller one was towering over the shorter one and they both had the exact same expression on their identical faces.  
"I'm Jill and this is Jesse. We're the beaters for this team. May we inspect the equipment?" asked the taller one. The way she spoke was polite, but firm.  
"We don't have any. I talked to the ministry and they said they don't have enough money to provide us with equipment," Andrea explained.  
"Not enough money my arse," muttered Bridget.  
"I'd have to agree with you there," Andrea said. "They can afford to buy new uniforms for the cheerleaders on the men's side and to build new sky boxes, but they don't have enough to get us equipment."  
"We brought our own bats anyway and we should have some spare bludgers at home," Jill announced.  
"I'll steal James' snitch," Li informed them.  
"But I thought be played chaser?" Bridget asked curiously.  
"Can you get him to autograph it for me?" Lisa gushed. Bridget whacked Lisa on the back of the head lightly and looked back at Li.  
"He does play chaser, but his superiority complex makes him think he can play any position. He has several extra snitches which he uses to test his reflexes," Li explained.  
"That's probably a good idea," Andrea commented.  
"Let's go out and practice already, where's the coach?" Li asked.  
"Um, we don't have one?" Andrea offered. "We were kinda counting on you training us since you've been in profession leagues before." Li sighed.  
"Fine, let's just go." A blur rushed passed her.  
"Hi, I'm here," the blur said. The person who was the blur quickly ran into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later only now in quidditch clothes. She was Asian. Li couldn't tell if she was Korean or Chinese or Japanese or something else, she'd never been good at identifying ethnic groups. She was lean. Her face still retained baby fat. Her dark hair was pulled off her face in a complicated do that made her face look chubbier compared to her thin childlike body. "Let's go already!" she yelled as if she was the one who had been waiting.  
"Honestly, you're acting as if we were the ones who showed up late," Li said.  
"Who do you think you are talking to me like that?"  
"She's..." Andrea started.  
"It doesn't matter who you are. Obviously you're just some wanna be. You'll never keep up with us. You were probably just assigned to our team cause you have a pretty face. That's what they want this team to be. It'll be like the Play Wizard girls playing Quidditch. They don't want us to actually play," the girl yelled.  
"For your information I am not here just to "be a pretty face" as you put it. I'm here to play Quidditch and if you have a problem with that..." Li yelled.  
"I do have a problem!" the girl shouted.  
"An-mei! Calm down!" Bridget yelled. "Li didn't do anything to you."  
"Li? You mean Li Evans? Where?" An-mei asked. She looked around.  
"I'm Li you idiot," Li snapped. She glared at the Asian girl who was slightly less vertically challenged than Li was.  
"Wait, Andrea, I thought you said that Li wasn't going to be on out team. Said some flower person was," An-mei protested.  
"Don't tell me you didn't know her name was Lily? Honestly!" Andrea sighed.  
"But you don't look like Li Evans," An-mei argued studying Li. "You don't look like a..."  
"Guy?" Li supplied. "I've been too lazy to get a hair cut." She played with her hair which was now a few inches passed her shoulders.  
"Oops," An-mei said. She blushed a deep shade of pink. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything I said. I'm just mad over something Mama said. I'm An- mei."  
"I could have figured," Li muttered under her breath.  
"Um, let's get out onto the field," Andrea said quickly hurrying everyone out.  
  
And now for some tasteful trumpet jokes. (Can only be told cause I play trumpet) Q. How many trumpet players does it take to screw in a light bulb? A. 6. 1 to change the light bulb 5 more to stand around and say how much better they could have done it.  
  
How trumpet players great each other, *holds out hand* "Hello, I'm Kate, I'm better than you." (to next person) "Hello, I'm Kate, I'm better than you." (BTW, my name is not actually Kate, I just picked it at random.)  
  
What my section leader said to me, "What does this represent?" Me:... Him: "It represents ego. You play the trumpet because you have a big ego. The trumpet might not be as aerodynamic as the clarinet, but its heavier and better for hitting people."  
  
On a day when a trumpet was absent. "He doesn't take up THAT much space." "No, but his ego does." 


	9. Things Fall Apart

A/N Terribly sorry haven't been updating, I'm really tired and I have no idea how to get from where I am to where I want to be. Ah well, hope I can be forgiven.  
  
Li walked off the field feeling very much like slamming her head into a brick wall. This whole girl's side, which had been practicing for three months and had played and won its first and poorly attended game, was not going to work. How could it? Girls were too weak to play properly, they all stopped whenever someone got hurt, come on, that's the point of bludgers. This is not to say they weren't all good. Li had to admit that even Lisa was at least the level of many keepers on the Men's side though she still found the valley girl intolerable. Besides, there was no coach. It was like a large band without a conductor. It worked but it didn't work as well. To make Li's bad mood worse it was Christmas. Christmas for goodness sake. The time when people were supposed to be all happy and all familyish. Stupid Christmas love songs kept playing in Li's head and she was going to smash the next radio she heard playing "All I want for Christmas is you." She was quite sure she was going stark raving mad.  
  
Li's teammates had different reactions to her mood. The twin beaters Jill and Jesse mostly ignored her, but then again Jill only talked when she needed to and Jesse not at all. Andrea attempted to be comforting, Lisa acted like a snob, Bridget told Li she had a stick up her arse but otherwise left her alone but An-mei had a completely different response.  
  
"What the hell do you expect us to do?" An-mei yelled at Li after practice. "We won our last game isn't that enough? It's damned Christmas. We're supposed to be happy and you're putting us all in a bad mood! If you keep this up I'm beating you over the head with a two by four!"  
  
"Oh sod off won't you? I can be as miserable as I want to be and you have no right to tell me otherwise you damned Griffindor two bit wanna be Quiddich player!" Li shouted back.  
  
"You slimy Slytherin! Get that royal stick out of your arse and act sensible. We are tired of putting up with your behavior. You're just angry cause the rest of us have lives unlike you, you miserable little snake. You're such a slimy git!"  
  
"And you're an arrogant Griffindor always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong!"  
  
"Excuse me? I'm here to see Li Evans," a voice called from the entrance to the locker rooms. All seven women turned toward the voice. Even from a distance the site made Lisa's heart jump and Li's face scowl. It was none other than James Potter.  
  
"What do you want you git?" Li called back.  
  
"How dare you speak to him that way!" Lisa whispered harshly. She turned to Bridget. "I can't believe I'm about to meet James Potter!" she squealed before fainting into Bridget's arms leaving the stocky girl to deal with her unconscious friend. James made his way toward the group.  
  
"I need to ask you something..." he started.  
  
"A little privacy?" Li scowled at her teammates. They all tried to pretend they were going about their business but failed miserably. Li grabbed James' elbow and dragged him outside. She gave him a shove for good measure and then backed away. She didn't really know why she was so angry and neither did he, but both decided to just go with it.  
  
"Listen, I got a dinner party I have to go to on Christmas Eve. Its required I bring a date," James explained.  
  
"I don't see how this concerns me," she replied coldly.  
  
"I was wondering if you would come with me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cause I need a date."  
  
"Why me? I don't know you, you don't know me. We don't like each other plus don't you have some bimbo of a girlfriend?"  
  
"We broke up. Come on. You're the only woman I know who's a real person," he tried.  
  
"Are all the rest plastic?" Li asked.  
  
"I mean, I can talk to you and even if its arguing its better than hearing about someone's hair."  
  
"Fine, but you owe me. What do I have to wear and when will you pick me up?"  
  
"You don't really have to wear anything special even though it's formal. Women usually wear muggle fancy clothes and men wear dress clothes as well with their robes open over. But it doesn't really matter and it would actually be funny if you showed up in Quidditch robes or something. I don't really expect you to dress up. I'll pick you up at six thirty," James told her. "I got to go to practice so I'll see you."  
  
Li stood there for a few minutes before shivering and heading back inside the changing rooms.  
  
"What did he say?" gushed Lisa who had woken up. "Did he ask me to marry him?"  
  
"No," Li told her coldly. "I have a favor to ask from one of you. Are any of you good at makeovers?" Li winced preemptively for the squeal which would mostly come from several of her teammates.  
  
"Sorry, I'm absolutely fashion challenged," Andrea told her. "I'm having other people do me over for my wedding in a few months since I'm absolutely useless."  
  
"Same here, only I'm not getting married," Lisa told her.  
  
"Wouldn't help you if I knew how," An-mei said. Jill shook her head.  
  
"Bridget, would you be willing?" Lisa asked her friend who was just coming into the room.  
  
"To do what?" Bridget asked.  
  
"Make Li over," Andrea finished.  
  
"Sure," Bridget informed them. "When do you want to?"  
  
"I have to go to a party Christmas Eve at six thirty," Li replied.  
  
"Not so good. Meeting my girlfriend's parents that night. I don't think they approve of me. I'm leaving at six. I'll get June over to make things go more quickly. I'll make appointments with the hairdresser at this place," she said handing Li a card, "at twelve. Then we'll go shopping and June will apply make up." The girl was practically jumping up and down with excitement.  
  
"Are you sure?" Li asked rather nervously which her teammates found funny.  
"Bridg's got a degree in fashion and such," Andrea told her. Li had a hard time imagining the sturdy girl giggling over fabrics and figuring out which colors went with which.  
  
The day of Christmas Eve arrived. Li woke up promptly at ten o'clock, late for her and forced herself up out of her warm bed. She stumbled down many flights of stairs to Severus' flat after throwing on some clothes for her daily cup of coffee. Severus was one of those annoying people who could be his usual self whether it was early or late. His usual self was what most people considered someone with a stick up his arse, but nonetheless he was little changed by the hour of the day.  
  
"Huh," Li grunted as she entered his flat when he opened the door.  
  
"Morning to you too," he replied closing the door behind her in his usual brisk manner. She sat down at the table watching his pour the beautiful liquid most called coffee into a glass for her. She grabbed for it greedily and took wonderful sips of it letting the aroma and warmth flood into her.  
  
Li loved coffee. If she had to take ten things to a deserted island with her three would be a strainer, a pot to boil water and of course coffee. She'd drunk the stuff since childhood as if it was her mother's milk. When she's first tasted Severus' coffee she's thought she'd died and gone to coffee heaven. Severus' coffee was amazing. It tasted like Columbian with Pumpkin Juice, cinnamon and something else she couldn't place. He refused to tell Li what he put in there, so everyday she showed up without fail to steal a cup of coffee as punishment to him for not telling her the recipe so she could make it on her own. In the beginning she had stolen the cup out of his hand as he was about to drink leaving him coffeeless and having to cook up a new pot. After two years of her doing this every morning, he just made extra to serve to his caffeine-addicted friend along with breakfast.  
  
"How goes the morning?" Severus asked when he thought Li capable of speech. He picked up his pan and shoveled some eggs onto Li's plate. She smiled into her cup and put it down reluctantly.  
  
"S'ok. Have a party to go tonight unfortunately," she told him. His face fell. "What?"  
  
"Nothing," he told her assuredly. It then hit her.  
  
"Oh no! It's Christmas Eve! How could I forget!" she cried. They always spent the night together watching scary movies and pelting carolers with snowballs. It was almost as good a night as New Year's Eve when the spent the night making fun of the stupid partyers who were so excited over the new year as if it was going to be completely different from the old one.  
  
"No worries, we'll hang New Years. Don't forget Lucius' Christmas dinner, we can catch up and be bored then ok? I'm sure there will be plenty of carolers we can charm snowballs to fly at," he assured her.  
  
"It's a date. Besides, I'm being made over and so I'll surprise you and Lucius with my new look," she laughed.  
  
"Don't tell me you're turning into some kinda of girl."  
  
"I am a girl." Severus gave her a look. "Hey, I'm not getting all soft on you. I'll send a caroler flying and put sticky snow up his pants so he can't get it out, ok?" Severus smirked at the thought of this.  
  
"Ok," he told her. The two friends both turned to their breakfasts. Severus took a moment to study Li as she stared intently at her half empty cup of coffee. Her hair was longer than he'd ever seen it at two inches past her shoulders. It was not at all well kept and at any given time looked like she had just gotten up. She still looked very youthful, a woman in her prime years, but it was obvious she was starting to develop wrinkles on her forehead from scowling so much. Severus idly wondered if the same was happening to him.  
  
Li made her livelihood playing Quidditch and now selling her patented charms for extra cash. She sold them to whoever would pay the most for them being completely undiscriminatory about which side they went to. The war seemed not to affect her at all. Severus wondered how she could live without worry like that. Severus himself was constantly afraid of being drafted to either side. He didn't think himself as particularly evil or particularly good. He seemed to fall somewhere in the gray area in-between.  
  
Severus looked back at Li who was now staring sadly into her empty cup and pulled her a new one much to her delight, or as much delight as a former Slytherin shows. She still looked beautiful to him. He laughed inwardly at himself for still having that schoolboy crush on her. How many years had he had it now? Five? Six? Seven? It seemed too long. Why did he like her so much? Was it because of her brilliant mind or her winter hair the color of shiny copper? Was it because her skin was warm when she fell asleep on his shoulder after a night of watching movies? Was it because of her stubborn chin or her fiery eyes? Was it because of her coffee addiction? Her friendship? Her dependence on him? His dependence on her? Was it the way she shoved her brussel sprouts to the side of her plate thinking no one saw her or how she kept the spoon in her mouth after putting the last spoonful of ice cream in? Was it her fighting spirit or her quick intelligence? Was it the yelling matches they had or the long discussions? Severus resolved to never know and to definitely never tell her. He wondered why he could face dragons without breaking a sweat but the thought of telling his violent friend that he liked her sent shivers down his spine.  
  
"Well, I've got to go. I have an appointment at Bridget's and I want to ride my broom," Li announced snapping Severus out of his reverie. Severus smirked at the real reason she was going to ride her broom. Li, for all that she was brilliant at charms, was horrible at apparating. She'd passed the test by threatening to dismember the judge if he didn't pass her. That and Lucius had paid the man a whole lot of money.  
  
"Bye," Severus called after her retreating form. He turned back to his breakfast and didn't see Li snatch with lightning fast speed the package of ground coffee that contained the blend that Severus had carelessly left out. Li closed the door behind her and cackled triumphantly.  
  
Li flew through the almost noonday sky with ease. She had a clocking charm of her own design in place and had little fear of anything except avoiding airplanes. She was told the salon was somewhere downtown and she decided to land on someone's roof next door. She touched down with ease and removed the charm before shrinking her brook so it would fit in her pocket.  
  
She made her way down the stairs surprisingly easily. No one asked her any questions and no one even thought to stop her. Li stood outside a salon, a muggle salon. Li wondered why Bridget wouldn't direct her to a magical one, but put the question to the back of her mind for later.  
  
"Li?" a voice asked. Li turned around to see a woman who could only be classified as a flower child. Her brown hair was in waves that looked tousled and windswept, but not to the point of being messy. Her skin was a peach color, rosy in some places of her face. Li speculated that her skin tanned nicely in the summer. Her eyes were a slightly purple color and were highlighted with makeup to make them stand out. She had a petite build, but average height. She was wearing a purple skirt with flowers that flowed as she walked toward Li. In short one of the most beautiful women Li had ever seen.  
  
"That is I," Li responded coolly.  
  
"Hi! I'm June, Bridget asked me to meet you here and tell them what to do," the woman informed Li. "Well, turn around, let me get a look at you." Li sighed and did as she was told. "Well, Bridg is better at this than I am, but I'd say that you're hair is much too short. Someone like you needs long hair. So I'm thinking add highlights of a goldy color to add dimension. Can you take out you're hair?" Li took the hair band out of her hair letting it fall out of its bun. "Yes, gold. I think gold make up and we'll handle the dress later."  
  
"Wait, dress? I haven't worn a dress since a wedding and I don't plan to for anything less than that," Li protested.  
  
"This is a Christmas party, you're wearing a dress," June said in a no nonsense voice.  
  
Li was shoved into the salon and came out a while later feeling rather strange. This was not the first time she had had forced makeovers, but this time it was almost...fun. Li was slightly disgusted with herself. June had given Li Bridget's address and left to change for her own party.  
  
Li was walked the few blocks to Bridget's flat which was five stories up in a rather pleasant looking building. Li wondered how Bridget could afford such a flat on the salary she was being paid for Quidditch. Li rang the bell and Bridget answered. The normally almost tomboy girl was completely transformed. She was wearing a long mahogany shirt and a long black skirt. Her makeup was in shades of red and her hair was done up on top of her head.  
  
"Finally, we have very little time, let's move," Bridget told her grabbing her purse and heading outside. Bridget dragged Li around and forced her to try on dresses. In the end she let Li off the hook and let her wear flowing black pants. She did force Li to wear the gold wrapping shirt that came down to the middle of Li's thighs. Li had to admit it didn't look too bad and was comfortable. Upon getting back Li was forced into a chair and "gunk" was put on her face. The gunk was goldy gittery eye shadow and light pink lipstick, but Li still felt to classify it a gunk.  
  
"How does she look?' a familiar voice called from one of the rooms.  
  
"Come see yourself," Bridget told her. June came out looking all dressed up and rather delicate.  
  
"Good choices," June congratulated Bridget.  
  
"Not bad yourself," Bridget commented. She gave June a quick peck on the lips. "Now for her hair. I'm thinking classical yet interesting. She has that hair that longs to be intricate but it's so beautiful that it shouldn't be all up."  
  
"I was thinking half up half down," June put in. Bridget and mumbled something, her mouth now full of bobby pins. Li's hair was twist and pulled until she thought her skull was going to be pulled off. The result of their endeavors was a bun of half her hair on the back of her head with various strands coiling around others. Li tried to trace a single hair when a mirror was present to her but lost it quickly in the coils. Two tendrils were left in curls to frame her face.  
  
"You're beautiful," Bridget told her. "But it's almost six and we really must dash. We're off to have dinner with June's parents. Will they be surprised when they find out we're going to have a baby!" Bridget put her hand proudly on June's stomach. Li spied the catalogue sent to women wanting to be pregnant of possible donors.  
  
"You look lovely," June assured her. The three left the flat. Li watched as June dragged Bridget down the stairs. Li muttered the charm she had made up to protect her makeup and hair from the dangers of broomstick flying and took off from the roof of the flat.  
  
Li wondered briefly, as she flew through the sky, why she was going all this. She certainly didn't have to. She hadn't talked to Potter in a long time. Why should he want her to come? Why had she agreed to go?  
  
Was she lonely? Was the wanting for something Lucius and Narcissa had? No, she had never wanted that. In twenty years she still saw herself sitting around Severus' flat stealing his coffee. She looked forward to still be participating in their morning routine for years to come. In fact she wouldn't trade it for the world.  
  
Arriving at the flat, Li went to Severus' quickly, eager to show him her new look. She raced down the stairs and hallways to his flat before stopping before him door slipping on the gold hamstring stretching strappy heels Bridget had made her buy. She wobbled a bit, no sure how well she could move. Bridget had made her practice moving about with them on, but she was in no way comfortable. She couldn't remember ever wearing heels before and knew very much why at this moment. She knocked on the door. It opened with its slight squeak.  
  
"What is it now I thought you were gone for the day," Severus said tiredly. He looked at her mouth, where her eyes usually were and had to raise his gaze to see properly. Severus was a rather tall man at six five. Lily, being a slightly above averaged height woman at five seven was someone he was used to being about a head taller than. Now she came up to the bottom of his nose. "Li?" he asked bewilderedly.  
  
"Yes, this is the result. I think walking in heels is an art form or should be considered one," Li said sarcastically.  
  
"It's excessive."  
  
"You don't like it?"  
  
"It isn't you," Severus argued.  
  
"Well, it'll have to do. I really have to go now, I just wanted to show you." Li raced, or as quickly as she could, down the stairs to the lobby where James was supposed to meet her.  
  
He was standing there, already waiting. He was wearing a white sweater with black pants. Over it was a navy blue dress robe open in the front. For some reason the color had always suited him to a T. His hair was brushed though still impossibly messy.  
  
"Li?" he asked squinting to see if it was really her as he had his glasses off and was cleaning them.  
  
"Yea, let's go," Li told him. "How are we getting there?" James put his glasses on and did a double take. She was beautiful. James was always amazed how well Lily "cleaned up."  
  
"I ordered a carriage, it's the only way to travel properly to these things," he informed her. Li shrugged thinking a broom was better.  
  
They made their way outside and got into a carriage pulled by hippogriffs which none of the muggle seemed to notice. The driver was an older woman who kept a sour look on her face as if she had better things to do than drive up and ups to parties on Christmas Eve.  
  
"Muggles think it's a limo," James assured her. They seated themselves in the carriage and pulled into an alleyway, taking flight as soon as no muggles could see them.  
  
The party was held at a rather large mansion with sprawling greenery all around. The carriage landed smoothly while other such carriages were taking off and landing. Li was helped out of the carriage, much to her displeasure, by a formal looking gentleman in a uniform. It didn't help her wounded pride that James was laughing the entire time at Li's struggle to refuse the man's help. Li scowled at him as he grinned, biting his lip to keep from laughing.  
  
"Shall we proceed?" he asked, holding out his arm after he'd gotten control of his face. Li ignored the arm and started walking toward the door.  
  
"Let's get the night from hell over with," she muttered. James sighed and caught up with her.  
  
After a night of gossip and annoying high pitched laughter, Li found herself hiding in the kitchen, charming pots to dance as sing so she could blast them satisfactorily to smithereens.  
  
"Do you have something against frying pans?" James asked coming into the room. Li said nothing but shot her spell at the innocent frying pan just for good measure. James grabber her wand away from her. She gave him a glare that if he had not been holding her want would have sent him crying for his life in a corner.  
  
"Leave me alone Potter," she warned him.  
  
"Are we back on last name basis?"  
  
"I have no idea why I came. Give me back my wand!"  
  
"You know I don't want to be here either! My parents make me come to these damn things and if I don't bring a date then they do their whole 'we disapprove' act. Besides you should be grateful to me for introducing you to upper class society unlike those gits you hang out with. I'm saving you!" James exclaimed.  
  
"Grateful? You arrogant Griffindor jerk-off. How dare you call me low! How dare you insult my friends! They're twice whatever you'll be! So much for Griffindor courage, you can't even get the courage to stand up to your parents!" Li yelled.  
  
"You slimy Slytherin bitch! You insult me? Well you're a muggleborn. Your friends will sell you out to Volemort! He just wants to kill muggleborns and do you think your friends will stop him? What use do they have for someone like you?" James shouted. Li punched him soundly in the chest, which should have caused him to back up from the force, but he didn't, he couldn't. Li looked up. Mistletoe. She'd seen the damn things all night, catching people unaware. 'Uh-oh,' she thought as she felt herself moving forward against her will.  
  
James' lips pressed against her own forcefully. She fought back, pushing her own just as hard against his. His hand went to her back, pushing her against him. Her hands went into his hair, keeping his head in place for the assault of her lips. Li knew neither she nor James was moving by force of the mistletoe anymore, but she couldn't nor wanted to make herself stop.  
  
He sat down on a bench nearby, bringing her straddling his lap. Their tongues battled for dominance. She leaned over him, to get the advantage. They paused, both breathing heavily. Li was first to regain control of her senses and quickly fell off the bench and backed away from James who was staring at her with a half-dazed look. Li's eyes went to her wand, lying on the floor a little bit away where it had fallen out of James' grasp. She grabbed it and apparated away, first of many panicked apparations to come, leaving James wondering what happened.  
  
Li was curled up on the sofa of Severus' couch. It was New Year's Eve, almost a week after Christmas Eve. A week of owls upon owls pouring into her flat with letters from James. She'd burned them all in the fire without reading them. She wasn't talking to him again. She felt ashamed embarrassed. She hadn't left her flat. She'd even claimed sick so she wouldn't have to go to Lucius'. Why was she acting like a love sick little girl? That was something a Hufflepuff would do, not her. Why was she acting like this! She scolded herself over and over, but it didn't work. Severus' had knocked on her door everyday, slipping food in and yelling at her that she was being a prat even though he still had no idea why he was upset.  
  
Now Li was here, at Severus' for a traditional New Years because she had made a promise and because Severus had threatened to stop giving her coffee if she didn't come. The TV, the only muggle invention Severus had, was on with the ball in New York Times Square.  
  
"Look at them! What idiots!" Li commented on some people on TV who were saying their New Year's resolutions to the camera. "Do they think they're actually going to keep that up?"  
  
"Just tell me what's wrong," Severus demanded. "I'm sick and tired of you're whining and moaning about."  
  
"It's nothing," she told him firmly. Usually he would recognize the sign to stop, but he didn't take the hint.  
  
"No it's not nothing! It's bothering you and as your friend I want to know what it is!"  
  
"Mind your own damn business!"  
  
"You are my business," Severus told her. "You're my friend. Besides you're making me go up many stairs to get to your place and I hate heights so I should at least know why I'm facing my fear for you." Li smiled to herself, a sort of smirk-grin, just on the boundary of what is allowed by Slytherins. Severus leaned over to give her a hug and Li fell into it, putting all her weight against him.  
  
"On Christmas Eve..." Li began but was interrupted by knocking at the door.  
  
"I'll get that," Severus said.  
  
"I will, I need more hot chocolate anyway," Li told him. She made her way to the door, holding a bag of powder, which turns the skin multicolored for a day when it comes in contact with humans. She opened the expecting to find some people wishing her a happy New Year.  
  
"James?" she gasped. His hair was frozen into spikes and her has snow all over him.  
  
"I was standing underneath your window but no one was there," he explained. "You have some very annoying kids for neighbors." Li moved to shut the door but he stopped it. "Hear me out," he said getting to business. "I've been thinking and I realized I really like you. I've never felt this way about anyone before and it scares me."  
  
"Why should I believe you and why should I care? You've probably said that line to many girls before." Li moved to close the door again but he put his foot forward to catch it.  
  
" You're on my mind every waking second since then. It's as if you won't leave me alone. I know you feel the same way. If you didn't you wouldn't have kissed me like that. I really want to be with you," James confessed. Li paused, feeling the words hit home. "Please?" She nodded slowly, feeling giddy inside. He leaned in slowly and kissed her gently, not at like the first kiss. It was sweet and loving with all the caring of the world.  
  
"Li, what's going..." Severus started but never finished. He saw what was going on and felt his heart drop. 


	10. Rifts

Rifts  
  
"Why would you do something like this? You know I don't approve," Lucius told Li in his most disapproving voice. He sat down in his chair and swirled his red wine.  
  
"I don't ever remember asking your opinion," Li snarled.  
  
"I'm giving it to you anyway. It's James Potter for crying out loud! You know, the prick with whom we used to fight back in school? How can you forget what a bastard he was? He's a Griffindor, the only thing lower is dating a Griffindor muggleborn, no offense."  
  
"I don't see how this is your business," Li shouted.  
  
"It is my business! You're my friend and I have to look out for you."  
  
"I appreciate the sentiment but I'm old enough to take care of myself thank you very much."  
  
"We tolerated your continual playing of Quidditch and even your refusal to take sides, but this is too much! You cannot go allying yourself with someone like him."  
  
"Tolerated my Quidditch playing! You bloody bastard! Last time I checked I didn't have to ask your approval to run my life, Dad!" Li said the last word sarcastically.  
  
"Severus, talk some sense into her!" Lucius demanded. Severus sat back in his chair.  
  
"I'm staying out of this one but my opinion is that I dislike Potter greatly for reasons known to both of you and I don't like the idea of Li dating him, but it is her life and I have no say over it even though I disapprove," Severus said.  
  
"You bloody wanker! You're a wimp! Go hide in your dungeon and keep the light out! Go and disappear like the pathetic human you are!" Lucius roared.  
  
"You're the one who asked his opinion you prick so if you don't like it's your own bloody fault!"  
  
"I see it is up to me to talk sense into you," Lucius voice became a strained calm. "We are living in a dangerous world Li. In case you haven't noticed people are dying."  
  
"And you're the one killing them but you don't see me getting involved in your affairs," Li snapped.  
  
"While you're in my house you will listen to me! People are dying and I would be too if I weren't on his side! If I took a stand against him my family would all be killed!" he calmed down again. "You need to decide whose side you're on. Are you going to be on theirs with the dirty arrogant bastard and be killed? Or are you going to be on our side and live? It's self-preservation. Join Voldemort and be saved. We're trying to do something here! We have a cause! We are trying to rid the world of those who are unworthy!"  
  
"Am I unworthy of your grand presence, Lucius? Am I dirty too? Are you ashamed to have me for a friend?" Li withdrew her wand from her pocket.  
  
"Li! You know that's not what I mean!"  
  
"And I don't see why I should have my life approved by you! This is the first thing I've ever done you haven't liked or I haven't consulted you about first. You want to control me! That's what this has been about from the beginning! Well guess what? I don't want to be controlled anymore! Let me make my own decisions!" Li roared. She shoved her wand under Lucius' chin.  
  
"I'm not trying to control your bloody life I'm trying to keep from getting killed but if you don't want help then fine! Go get yourself murdered for all I care! Get out of here! Get out of my house!" Lucius shouted. Li looked at him straight in the eye and with a crack disappeared. Severus rose and drew his wand.  
  
"Yes, you go follow her! You'll never have her you know! You never will because you're too whimpy to say something! You're going to lose her to him! To a goddamned bloody Griffindor! To a POTTER!" Lucius screamed. Severus gave him a look Lucius had never before truly seen on his friend. It was resolve, hurt, pain stubbornness and betrayal. "Severus..." and Snape was gone.  
  
"The trio split up, I'd never thought I'd see the day," Narcissa drawled from the doorway.  
  
"Don't you start woman! Don't use that tone with me! Don't talk of things you know nothing of!" Lucius yelled.  
  
"If my sisters heard you yell now they'd come and take off your head. I'm a Black don't you ever forget that," Narcissa said threateningly.  
  
"You're my wife and you'll do what I say!"  
  
"If you're going to have that attitude then no wonder she wouldn't listen. If you hadn't noticed little Li is turning into Lily and you're releasing all control of that transformation. This could come back and bite you in the arse. If I were you I'd approve of this, all she's doing is defying you. If it was an easy relationship she'd get tired of it and fall right into Severus' arms where you want her."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"I don't have to take this, I'm leaving you too. All alone in your misery," Narcissa told him. "I'm sure Bellatrix will be thrilled to hear how you've been treating me." She apparated away. Lucius slammed his fists into the leather chair.  
  
"Hey Jim! How's the girl going? When are you going to dump her?" Sirius asked putting his beer down on the counter.  
  
"Would you stop it with that? I really like her, I'm not going to dump her anytime soon," James argued.  
  
"We've heard that before," Remus grinned. "With Lindsay, Katie, Genna, Janice and Tina."  
  
"Don't forget Henrietta, Lori, Diana, Helen and Olivia," Pete piped in.  
  
"Exactly, what makes this fling so different?" Remus questioned.  
  
"I really like her so get off my back," James snapped.  
  
"Ok man, whatever you say. Be careful with her though, she could get you back for hurting her unlike the others," Remus warned.  
  
"I don't see why you have to date her of all people. She's one of them. She's working for the dark lord. Are you willing to betray your house, your family, your loyalties and all that hard work you've put in to stop Voldemort just for her? Are you going to betray us?" Sirius asked his voice rising.  
  
"Sirius, don't make me chose between you and her," James warned his friend. "If you made me chose I'd have to chose you but I'd be damned angry about it!"  
  
"You're both being unreasonable," Remus cut in.  
  
"Don't you start," James growled. Remus leaned back a bit on his barstool almost to the point where he'd tip it over. He cracked his neck slowly, thinking about what he was going to say. He came back up setting the front two legs of the stool back down with a thump.  
  
"Sirius does have a point. It's not the time to be looking for girls particularly ones as dangerous as she is. With any girl would be distracting. You'd need to spend time with her better spent training. It's dangerous out there and with her, well, we don't know James. We knew Evans in seventh year. She was prime suspect for being a death eater. I know you played Quidditch with her, but if she's capable of lying to the Cannons that proves she can easily lie to you too," Remus reasoned.  
  
"You're just bloody agreeing with him cause you have a crush on him," James muttered under his breath.  
  
"What did you say?" Remus asked eyes narrowing. James had better not betray a secret he'd told James long ago.  
  
"Nothing Remus," he snapped. His voice got soft again; "You bloody fairy."  
  
"James stop it with the under the table insulting of Remus. I have no idea what you're bloody saying but would you stop it?" Sirius demanded. "What's Remus ever done to you?"  
  
"Then you stop attacking my girlfriend!"  
  
"Stop going out with someone who might kill you! Even if she weren't really bad, her friends are. Malfoy is as bad as they come but Snape is not far worse. They're bloody death eaters! They're dangerous! They go poking around where they're not wanted!"  
  
"And we didn't Sirius? Can you remember all those times when we stuck our noses into other people's business?"  
  
"But we're good James! We're not trying to kill anyone," Sirius argued.  
  
"You did a bloody good job proving that," James told him sarcastically. "I remember when a prank of yours almost got Snape killed."  
  
"That's because he was poking around in our business."  
  
"Which he was doing so he could get blackmail cause we were poking around in Evans' business."  
  
"That's besides the point. She's unstable! She dressed up as a bloody man for over ten years and fooled everyone. You're dating a gender confused person."  
  
"She is not, she would never have been recognized or have gotten as much power or pride as she did if she had dressed like a girl. She's a tomboy like your niece. Remus, I don't understand you not liking her. I thought you two reached an understanding back at Hogwarts."  
  
"That was Hogwarts. That was before the real world, things change. Here you need to be cautious James," Remus said.  
  
"It's my bloody life! I will do with it what I want!" James roared.  
  
"You're only saying that because you know we're right. You know she's dangerous, you know she will betray you one day and you know that we disapprove so now you're coming back with the only card you have left. It's your bloody life. Do with it what you like, see if I care. Don't expect me to pick up the pieces," Sirius snapped. He threw money down on the mahogany bar with a thud and stormed away.  
  
"Are you two leaving as well?" James asked nastily.  
  
"Only if you drive us away James. I won't stand in your way, but I warn you to be cautious with her. I wouldn't want to be on the bad side of her anger," Remus suggested. "I'll be calling it a night. I have to go job hunting in the morning. Bye." Remus walked away.  
  
"See ya!" Peter called over his shoulder.  
  
"What do you think?" James asked Peter. Peter froze clearly not used to being asked.  
  
"I think that..." he trailed off. "That..."  
  
"Come on Pete, have a bloody opinion," James sneered. "You don't know who to agree with do you? Grow up and get a bloody opinion for yourself!" James threw down his money and left the bar. 


End file.
